1-day Samples Research Articles

Sintesis dan Karakterisasi Solid Polymer Electrolyte (SPE) Berbasis Nanofiber Selulosa untuk Menunjang Baterai Litium Berdensitas Tinggi dan Ramah Lingkungan

Lithium battery as one of the energy storage has two important elements, namely electrodes and electrolyte. Electrolyte is a part of the battery element that has undergone many developments. In this study, the manufacture of electrolytes in the form of Solid Polymer Electrolyte (SPE) was carried out by utilizing the abundant availability of nata de coco. The nanofibrous cellulose structure in Bacterial Cellulose (BC) nata de coco has the advantages of good porosity, flexibility in surface functionality, compact porous structure that provides abundant ion pathways and hetero atoms (oxygen atoms) with free electron pairs that facilitate ionic conduction. The SPE synthesis process was carried out by varying the soaking time of nata de coco in ethanol, namely 1, 2 and 3 days to determine the structure with optimal results. FTIR characterization results show the synthesis of cellulose nanofiber has the same groups as commercial cellulose groups in the form of O-H, C-H, C=O and C-O. CV characterization results show the SPE electrolyte has good redox properties, especially in the 2-day variation with the highest specific capacitance. The EIS test showed the lowest resistance in the 1-day variation sample with a conductivity of 0.017 ohm-1.

Testing the efficiency of capture methods for questing Hyalomma lusitanicum (Acari: Ixodidae), a vector of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus.

Available methods to census exophilic tick populations have limitations in estimating true population size due to their inability to capture a high proportion of the actual tick population. We currently ignore the efficacy of these methods to capture questing Hyalomma spp. ticks, vectors of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus. To address the need of accurately estimating questing densities of Hyalomma spp., we designed a field experiment to test the efficacy of blanket dragging, blanket flagging, CO2-baited traps, and an ad hoc designed method, absolute surface counts, in capturing adult Hyalomma lusitanicum ticks from known numbers of preset fluorescent-marked ticks. The experiment was designed in 2 stages to estimate the point (1-day sampling) and cumulative (3-day serial sampling) efficacy of the methods under varying sampling effort and habitat. Tick survival, host interference, and weather effects on efficacy were controlled for in multiple regression models. There was high variability in method efficacy for capturing ticks, which was also modulated by effort, habitat, tick density, hosts, and soil temperature. The most effective method was absolute surface counts for both point estimates (39%) and cumulative efficacy (83%). CO2-baited traps reached a maximum efficacy of 37%, while blanket dragging and blanket flagging captured a maximum of the 8% of the marked ticks. Our results reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the different tick capture methods applied to adult H. lusitanicum and lay the groundwork for more accurate inferences about the true size of exophilic tick populations.

“Raw data denoising and assessment of records from Misallat and Abu Simbel geomagnetic observatories, Egypt”

The prompt access to accurate ground-based geomagnetic data is becoming a more crucial requirement. Misallat (29° 30′ 52″ N, 30° 53′ 22″ E) and Abu Simbel (22° 29′ 22″ N, 31° 32′ 41″ E) magnetic observatories of Egypt are filling a wide regional gap in the global distribution of geomagnetic observatories. However, both observatories suffer from continuous sources of noise that lead to a minimization of their contribution to geomagnetism. The industrial zone in the north of Misallat observatory resulted in convoluting the observatory records with high-frequency noise that appear, due to aliasing, as low-frequency signals imposed on the natural events of the magnetosphere. On the other side, spikes are frequently occurring in the raw data at Abu Simbel observatory. The goal of this research is to provide a variety of selected filtering approaches for denoising data in both Egyptian geomagnetic observatories and to evaluate their reliability after processing. The applied methods comprise frequency and time domain filters, in addition to the wavelet transform denoising procedure. We applied all of the methods to a selected 1-day sample of typical data from both observatories. The noise is efficiently reduced. The filtered data from the different denoising techniques were ranked according to the root mean square deviation (RMSD) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to evaluate the quality of the filtered data. Furthermore, one-day data samples of a quiet day and a stormy day are processed and then compared with simultaneous INTERMAGNET records from Tamanrasset, Algeria and Pedeli, Greece. So, we are currently able to process the raw data from both magnetic observatories while keeping them as useful as possible for all research and application aspects.

Long-term supratidal rockpool invertebrate community, Discovery Bay, Jamaica.

The rockpool cluster offers unique characteristics making it a model system for general questions in ecology: (1) all rockpools share biotic history (any species can reach any rockpool); (2) they form a strong gradient of conditions from benign to harsh; (3) 1-day sampling across all rockpools ensures census consistency; (4) rockpools respond to changing conditions within a short (days) time frame; (5) they are easy to manipulate (note: the data are from an unmanipulated rockpool subset), and (6) they may act as a single metacommunity that exhibits consistent species distribution patterns on a broader scale (unpublished). Consequently, the rockpools continue generating insights, with the first publications in 1996. The data represent an intensive rockpool metacommunity monitoring project, making them of considerable value to our understanding of tropical coastal metacommunity dynamics and general ecological processes. The dataset covers surveys of invertebrate fauna in 49, primarily supratidal, rockpools on a fossil coral reef over 25 years. All rockpools occur within a 73 × 47 m array of rocks at a distance of less than 2 m from the nearest neighbor. About 200 other rockpools occur on the same area. They are in a sheltered bay (Discovery Bay, Jamaica) between 0 and 5 m from the ocean. Typically, rockpools are 5-30 cm deep and 40 cm across on average, with elevation from a few centimeters to 300 cm above sea level. Rockpools may drain excess water from precipitation or waves into other rockpools, which allows organisms to disperse passively downstream. Of the 49 rockpools in the survey, 35 are subject to occasional drying up, while the others appear permanent. Most collections (1989-2004) were annual censuses of invertebrate populations, exceeding a total of 475,000 invertebrates counted, with only minor record gaps. In all cases, species level taxonomic information consists of detailed photographs. In some cases, notes are included with the taxonomic data where species identification could not be matched to information available in the literature. Samples from 2005 to 2019 still require organism identification. Abiotic parameters were measured the day before biotic sampling took place as the process of biotic sampling can impact abiotic parameters through stirring, oxygenation and filtering (temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, light intensity, salinity, alkalinity, and nutrients). The cumulative richness in the metacommunity consist of 78 freshwater, marine, and brackish water taxa, with a mean richness per rockpool of 5.5 distinct species. Regarding taxonomic makeup, ostracods dominated in both diversity and number, followed by copepods, and insects. There are no copyright restrictions on the data set; please cite this data paper when using these data in publications.

Effect of sodium silicate and cement on the improvement of engineering properties of organic soil

The study is aimed at evaluating the effect of adding sodium silicate and cement to organic soil. Geotechnical properties of organic soil are determined before and after the addition of the stabilizing materials, which in this case are cement and sodium silicate. The results obtained after treatment were analyzed and evaluated to determine whether the strength values reached are adequate for strong subgrades for pavement, and airports construction. Organic soil samples used in this study were obtained from Kayseri Free Area in Turkey. Index properties and geotechnical properties of organic soil, which was identified as sample P, were determined and this formed the reference upon which strength improvements of each mix design sample were obtained. Optimum moisture content and maximum dry density of the soil and the various mixes were obtained using standard proctor test. Unconfined compressive tests (UCS), California bearing ratio (CBR), and Falling head permeability tests were used to determine geotechnical properties. UCS tests were conducted on air cured samples for 1, 7, and 28 days. Soaked and unsoaked CBR samples were tested after 1, 7 and 28 days. Hydraulic conductivity was determined using the falling head permeability test. From the experiments, sodium silicate and cement were seen to improve the strength of organic soil and provide acceptable subgrade strength and CBR values. CBR and UCS tests indicated that longer curing periods improved strength even more. Higher values were obtained for 7 days cured samples than for 1-day samples with the highest values being obtained for 28 days cured samples. Design mixes with higher cement and sodium silicate compositions gave the highest values of strength. In conclusion, sodium silicate and cement give positive results when it comes to stabilizing organic soil.

Influence of Water Saturation Time on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Jointed Limestone

In order to study the influence of water saturation time on the mechanical properties of jointed limestone, the joint limestone samples with a crack length of 20 mm and a crack angle of 30° are saturated with water for 0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 days and tested with the RMT-150C mechanical test machine. The results show that the water saturation time has a significant effect on the stress-strain curve, peak strength, elastic modulus, crack development and failure characteristics of the jointed limestone. There is a step rise or fall phenomenon near the peak stress. The peak strength and elastic modulus of the joint limestone are significantly negatively correlated with the saturated time. Compared with that of the saturated 0-day sample, the peak compressive strength of the saturated 1-day, 3-day, 5-day and 7-day samples was decreased by 16.5%, 24.7%, 43.6%, and 47.7%, respectively, and the elastic modulus decreased by 11.0%, 32.0%, 45.0%, and 67.9%, respectively. Saturated water cracks the skeleton particles of the limestone samples, and the length of the microscopic pores and fissures increased gradually. The phenomenon that the number and length of cracks increase with the increase of the water saturation time will weaken the mechanical properties of the jointed limestone. The physical and chemical reactions, lubrication, and pore water pressure produced by water-saturated water-rock interactions make it easier for the Mohr stress circle to reach the limit equilibrium state. Saturated water reduces the degree of fragmentation of the sample, and the integrity of the fracture surface is higher after failure. The findings in this paper are helpful to further reveal the mechanism of the crushing of supports and the frequent occurrence of water gushing accidents at the working face in the Xinhua region of northwestern Guizhou.

Potassium content of the American food supply and implications for the management of hyperkalemia in dialysis: An analysis of the Branded Product Database.

Ultraprocessed foods can be a source of potassium additives. Excess potassium consumption can lead to hyperkalemia. How frequently potassium additives are found in the food supply and how they impact potassium content is not well documented. Using the Branded Product Database, ingredient lists were searched for "potassium" to identify products containing additives. For products listing potassium content, accuracy of potassium content reporting and how potassium content differed with additive use was also assessed. A total of 239,089 products were included, 35,102 (14.7%) contained potassium additives, and 13,685 (5.7%) provided potassium content. Potassium additives were most commonly found in dairy products, supplements, and mixed foods (at 37%, 34%, and 28%, respectively). Potassium additives in mixed foods and vegetables and fruits were associated with 71% and 28% more potassium per serving, respectively (p < 0.01). Potassium content increased by 1874 mg (66%) when a 1-day sample menu compared foods with and without additives. Potassium content of foods with and without additives is not well documented. Potassium additives are prevalent and can be associated with increased potassium content. However, more information is needed to better understand how different additives used in different foods change potassium content.

Reliability of spring recession curve analysis as a function of the temporal resolution of the monitoring dataset

Mountain springs represent one of the largest and most precious sources of potable water in Italy, necessary to meet the water needs of the population. Optimizing the present and future management strategies of mountain groundwater resources has become increasingly necessary. The accuracy and frequency of the flow rate (Q) measurements determine and restrict the processes that can be studied using spring hydrograph and recession curve analysis. Therefore, to properly define mountain aquifers’ hydrogeological properties, it turns out important to highlight the variation of the error in the estimation of the hydrogeological parameters as the time interval of sampling varies. In this paper, recession curve analysis was performed on two different mountain springs (Spring 1 and Spring 2) of north-western Italy, firstly considering available 4-h resolution measuring data and subsequently by resampling data to simulate longer sampling intervals of 1, 3, 7, 15, and 30 days.The resulting distribution of errors introduced by longer acquisition intervals underlined how the percentage error increases with increasing acquisition interval. For obtaining an adequate estimation of mountain aquifer hydrodynamic parameters, in place of continuous hourly data, 1-day and 3-day sampling intervals with associated errors respectively lower than 5% and 10% were found to be valid.

Assessing the Maximum Possible Water Discharge of the Zeya River on the Zeya HPP Site

The problem of estimating the probable maximum values of the inflow to the Zeya reservoir on the basis of determining maximum probable precipitation and results from simulating the flood runoff formation is considered. The maximum probable daily precipitation amounts were determined by the hydrometeorological method using the data of eight-term station-based meteorological observations of dew point temperature and precipitation amounts. Maximum daily precipitation values were converted to those for the travel time of the flood wave via the channel system (seven days for the Zeya basin) using the transition coefficient obtained by a statistical processing of precipitation amounts of different durations. To calculate the possible maximum flood, a rain graph with 1-day sampling intervals was constructed according to the type of change in precipitation intensity during the maximum flood observed in 2013. Precipitation was recalculated to the runoff in terms of the deterministic model developed by the Hydrologic Engineering Center (USA) with due regard for the formation characteristic of heavy floods in the settings of permafrost. The calculated limiting value of the inflow was refined using the Bayesian method of constructing a probability curve taking into account the upper limit of the distribution and the specified determination error of the desired characteristic. The values obtained for the maximum flow of the Zeya are compared with its estimates available to date.

Catalytic oxidation of cyclohexene by supported gold nanoclusters synthesized in a two-liquid phases system containing eucalyptus essential oil

Gold nanoclusters (d < 1 nm) have been synthesized in a two-liquid phases system, the aqueous phase being formed by dissolving gold in a solution of ammonium chloride in concentrated nitric acid (1: 4, w/w), while eucalyptus essential oil is the organic phase. The mesoporous SBA-15 material functionalized with mercaptopropyl groups (after surfactant removal: dp = 6.3 nm, 3.5 wt% S) was contacted with aliquots of the Au-containing essential oil phase taken at 1, 3, 6 and 8 days of contact time between both phases. In this way, gold was immobilized on the support, ranging from 0.4 wt% for the 1-day sample, to 2.7 wt% in the 3-days material. UV–vis spectra show the presence of gold nanoclusters in these samples, but the surface plasmon resonance at 520 cm−1, characteristic of Au nanoparticles, was not detected save for the 3-days sample. 13C MAS NMR and TG evidence that the thiol groups of the support remain mostly unaltered for the 1-day sample, but oxidation to sulfonic acid groups becomes apparent for contact time > 3 days, and reaches nearly 60 % of the total sulphur species after 8 days of contact time as estimated from XPS analysis. The Au-SH-bearing catalyst is inactive for cyclohexene oxidation with molecular oxygen in liquid phase, but those having sulfonic groups are active and selective for its allylic oxidation. It has been found for the 8-day catalyst that the gold nanoclusters partially evolve spontaneously in the reaction medium to form gold nanoparticles, and this agglomeration process parallels the increase in catalyst activity.

Improving the quality of Sentinel-3A data with a hybrid mean sea surface model, and implications for Sentinel-3B and SWOT

Abstract In this paper we compute a new local mean sea surface (MSS) model along the Sentinel-3A ground track. This so-called hybrid mean profile (HMP) blends the content of an average of 18 months of Sentinel-3A data for wavelengths ranging from 15 to 100 km, and the CNES/CLS 2015 gridded MSS model for larger and shorter scales. The improvement observed on Sentinel-3A sea level anomalies (SLA) is significant: the residual error is 0.2 cm2, i.e. 17% of the SLA variance between 15 and 100 km, or 57% less than the gridded MSS model error. The highest error reduction is observed for wavelengths ranging from 20 to 80 km. From a geographical point of view, the improvement is mainly located along geodetic features that are not completely resolved in the gridded MSS models. It can locally be as high as 1 cm2, i.e. very large when compared to the variance of the small scale SLA. Similarly, in coastal regions where the gridded model is known to exhibit higher errors, the HMP exhibits a very stable behavior that is on average 4 times more accurate. To understand the implications for future datasets and mission, we also develop a simple prediction model for the leakage of noise and small scale SLA into the MSS model. The model was validated with Sentinel-3A and ENVISAT data. Using the HMP strategy on the 21-day phase of the SWOT mission would be attractive for two reasons: 1/this methodology would reduce the small scale error of gridded MSS models thanks to SWOT’s unprecedented 2D topography coverage and noise level, and 2/the gridded MSS models provides a more trustworthy reference for the larger temporal scales that cannot be not averaged out by SWOT alone. After 3 years of nominal mission, the residual SWOT HMP error should be less than 2% of the sea level anomaly variance. In contrast, the so-called fast-sampling (or 1-day repeat) phase of SWOT is slightly more challenging because of the temporal correlation of the SLA (1-day samples are not independent). Depending on the accuracy of the pre-launch gridded MSS (i.e. upper wavelength limit where SWOT data must be used), the decorrelation scales could range from 1 to 5 days. The resulting HMP error would ranges from 5 to 12% of the SLA variance at the end of the fast-sampling phase. These results emphasize the need to keep improving the smaller scales of gridded MSS models as they will remain a major altimetry asset, at least until 2023, when SWOT has collected enough 21-day samples to provide a very robust HMP model.

Stabilization of soft clay using short fibers and poly vinyl alcohol

In this study, the effect of the combined addition of fibers and a nontraditional polymer on the mechanical behavior of a clay was investigated. Poly vinyl alcohol, PVA, used as a solution with concentrations of 0.1%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% and 1,2,3,4 Butane Tetra Carboxylic Acid, BTCA was added as a crosslinking agent at concentration rates of 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively. Short polypropylene fibers were added to the clay at proportionate quantities of 0.25% and 0.50% of the dry weight of the soil. Clay samples were prepared for unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests at two different initial void ratio values, denoting relatively stiff and markedly soft states. UCS tests were conducted on both 1-day and 14-day cured samples. The results confirmed significant UCS improvements with combined fiber reinforcement and PVA-BTCA stabilization when samples were cured for 14 days. It was also observed that fiber reinforcement outperformed PVA-BTCA stabilization for clays with the lower initial void ratio. PVA-BTCA stabilization was however found to be superior to fiber reinforcement in clays with a relatively higher initial void ratio. The effect of fiber reinforcement and PVA-BTCA stabilization on the stability of soils subjected to excessive wetting was also evaluated using soaking tests. Stabilization with PVA and BTCA was found to enhance the stability of soaked samples significantly. The results of soaking tests proved that BTCA made PVA-stabilized samples more durable when exposed to soaking.

PRICK AND SOAK Agroacterium tumefaciens-MEDIATED IN PLANTA TRANSFORMATION IN TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

One of the modern plant breedings through genetic engineering is Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation can be performed in vitro or in planta. In planta transformation arises from the weaknesses of the in vitro method such as need high hygiene standard, professional tissue culture experts, and more time to prepare explants and somaclonal variation. In planta transformation is a method to transfer the gene to the plant genome without any tissue culture stages. The aims of this research were to know the possibility of the prick and soak in planta method with the target of tomato seeds and to know the most suitable inoculation time for tomato seeds transformation by prick and soak method the transformation is done by pricking the seeds and soaking them in the A. tumefaciens suspension. The treatments in this study were 1 and 2 days inoculation time to test the efficacy of prick and soak in planta transformation method. Tomato seeds were pricked with a needle on the center once, and then soaked in A. tumefaciens strain LB4404 suspension carrying pKYS-SoSPS1 plasmid with Neomycin Phosphotransferase (NPTII) and Saccharum officinarum Sucrose Phosphate synthase (SoSPS1) genes. Visualization of tomato’s DNA samples after PCR showed that 1-day inoculation sample was positively integrated with NPTII gene and negative in the 2 days inoculation treatment.

Effects of four novel root-end filling materials on the viability of periodontal ligament fibroblasts.

ObjectivesThe aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of newly proposed root-end filling materials, Biodentine, Micro-Mega mineral trioxide aggregate (MM-MTA), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement, and Smart Dentin Replacement (SDR), in comparison with contemporary root-end filling materials, intermediate restorative material (IRM), Dyract compomer, ProRoot MTA (PMTA), and Vitrebond, using human periodontal ligament (hPDL) fibroblasts.Materials and MethodsTen discs from each material were fabricated in sterile Teflon molds and 24-hour eluates were obtained from each root-end filling material in cell culture media after 1- or 3-day setting. hPDL fibroblasts were plated at a density of 5 × 103/well, and were incubated for 24 hours with 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, and 1:8 dilutions of eluates. Cell viability was evaluated by XTT assay. Data was statistically analysed. Apoptotic/necrotic activity of PDL cells exposed to material eluates was established by flow cytometry.ResultsThe Vitrebond and IRM were significantly more cytotoxic than the other root-end filling materials (p < 0.05). Those cells exposed to the Biodentine and Dyract compomer eluates showed the highest survival rates (p < 0.05), while the PMTA, MM-MTA, SDR, and PMMA groups exhibited similar cell viabilities. Three-day samples were more cytotoxic than 1-day samples (p < 0.05). Eluates from the cements at 1:1 dilution were significantly more cytotoxic (p < 0.05). Vitrebond induced cell necrosis as indicated by flow cytometry.ConclusionsThis in vitro study demonstrated that Biodentine and Compomer were more biocompatible than the other root-end filling materials. Vitrebond eluate caused necrotic cell death.

Solar signals detected within neutral atmospheric and ionospheric parameters

We have analyzed time series of solar data together with the atmospheric and ionospheric measurements for solar cycles 19 till 23 according to particular data availability. For the analyses we have used long term data with 1-day sampling. By mean of Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) we have found common spectral domains within solar and atmospheric and ionospheric time series. Further we have identified terms when particular pairs of signals show high coherence applying Wavelet Transform Coherence (WTC). Despite wide oscillation ranges detected in particular time series CWT spectra we found only limited domains with high coherence by mean of WTC. Wavelet Transform Coherence reveals significant high power domains with stable phase difference for periods 1 month, 2 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years and 3–4 years between pairs of solar data and atmospheric and ionospheric data. The occurence of the detected domains vary significantly during particular solar cycle (SC) and from cycle to the following one. It indicates the changing solar forcing and/or atmospheric sensitivity with time.

Diffusion and influence on photovoltaic characteristics of p-type dopants in organic photovoltaics for energy harvesting from blue-light

Abstract To improve the performance of organic photovoltaics (OPV) for energy harvesting from blue-light, the OPVs (Ag/BCP/C60/BPh-BTBT/10 mol% p-doped BPh-BTBT/ITO) are fabricated with several dopants such as F4TCNQ, C60F36, HATCN, and Mo(tfd)3. The power conversion efficiencies of the OPVs with F4TCNQ, C60F36, HATCN, and Mo(tfd)3-doped BPh-BTBT obtained by white light-emitting diode source are improved with 60, 78, 46, and 49% than those by normal solar light, respectively. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy is performed with the 1-day and 7-days samples after the sample fabrication to observe the dopant distributions in each p-doped layer. Diffusion of dopant is observed only in the F4TCNQ-doped BPh-BTBT.

A Lagrangian study of plankton trophodynamics over a diel cycle in a eutrophic estuary under upwelling influence

A Lagrangian study was conducted in a eutrophic estuary (Guanabara Bay, Brazil) to investigatein situplankton trophodynamics under the influence of the cold, nutrient-rich South Atlantic Coastal Water in a short-term temporal variability (scale of hours). We tested the hypothesis that the base of the plankton food web is composed of small cells and that microzooplankton is the main consumer of this assemblage. Samples of pico-, nano- and microplankton, as well as copepods, were collected during spring, when the entry of upwelling water in the Bay is commonly observed, and near the surface every 3 h during the 1-day sampling period. Potential predation of dinoflagellates, ciliates, copepod nauplii, copepodites and adult copepods was estimated based on predator-prey size relationships. The main trophic links in the Guanabara Bay food web for the period analysed were nanophytoplankton-copepods, nanophytoplankton-ciliates, and autotrophic dinoflagellates-heterotrophic dinoflagellates. According to microphytoplankton availability, adult copepods could not satisfy their food requirement, and nanophytoplankton represented an important supplementary food source. In fact, diel variations of nano- and microplankton biomass were opposite to that of copepods suggesting predation control by the latter on the former. The trophodynamics of Guanabara Bay, under the influence of upwelling water, resulted in marked differences from other eutrophic estuaries around the world.

Wound healing protein profiles in the postoperative exudate of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of mandible.

Recurrent bacterial infections in cases of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of jaw (BRONJ) frequently occur. Therefore, BRONJ are usually treated by radical saucerization followed by intensive antibiotic medications without bisphosphonatetherapy. The postoperative exudate (POE) from BRONJ lesions may directly indicate the inflammatory status of osteomyelitis in patients, but so far, the POE has rarely been examined for its expression of various cytokines and wound healing proteins. A total of 27 cases of BRONJ, which involved the mandible, were selected and their individual POE collected 6h, 1day, and 2days after surgical intervention was analyzed by immunoprecipitation highperformance liquid chromatography (IP-HPLC). The different protein expressions in the BRONJ POE were compared with findings from ten cases of chronic mandibular osteomyelitis (CMO) exudate as the control group. For the protein expressions for inflammation, osteogenesis, and angiogenesis, in the 6h POE sample, the BRONJ exudate exhibited more expression of IL-10, IL-28, OPG, and osteocalcin, but less expression of TNFα and LL-37 than the control. In the 1day POE sample, the BRONJ exudate showed more expression of TNFα, IL-6, 8, 12, 28, α1-antitrypsin, VEGF-A, and VEGF-C, but less expression of CD68, lysozyme, bFGF, RANKL, bFGF, and ALP than the control. In the 2day POE sample, the BRONJ exudate consistently showed more expression of LL-37, β-defensin-1, and VEGF-A than the control. The present BRONJ POE revealed the rapid progress of bony wound healing through increased molecular signaling for inflammation, angiogenesis, and osteogenesis compared to the control. Therefore, it was suggested that the POE obtained from the postoperative bony lesions should be collected and analyzed by the IP-HPLC method to predict the prognosis of seriously complicated inflammatory bony diseases such as BRONJ.

Evaluation of antibacterial effects of contemporary orthodontic bonding materials

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of five orthodontic bonding materials commonly used in orthodontics. Materials and Methods: The antibacterial effects of five orthodontic bonding materials were evaluated against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus salivarius by direct contact test (DCT). Using the DCT technique, quintet specimens of Transbond XT, Blugloo, Grengloo, Light Bond, and Opal Bond were applied to the bottom and the walls of the five wells of a 96-microtiter plate with a height of 2 mm. Samples were prepared in two sets: 1-day samples and 7-day samples. Ten microliters of bacterial suspension were added to each well for direct contact with each material for 1h at 37 °C. Bacterial growth was then measured in a microplate spectrophotometer hourly at 600 nm for 24 h. Five uncoated wells with identical inoculum sizes served as positive controls. The data obtained at the end of 24 h was statistically analyzed with one-way ANOVA, and post hoc comparisons were done using Tamhane’s T2 test. Results: Blugloo generally showed better antibacterial activity than the other materials. Transbond XT did not show any antibacterial activity. There was a statistically significant difference between Transbond XT and Light Bond in the 1-day sample against S. mutans (p < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found among the other groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Blugloo had the most potent antibacterial activity against S. salivarious.

A simple method for preserving environmental DNA in water samples at ambient temperature by addition of cationic surfactant

Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a powerful tool within ecology for the study of the distribution or abundance of aquatic species, although the simplification of water sampling is required for enabling light and fast field sampling to expand further application of eDNA analysis. Here, certain candidate chemicals belonging to the group of cationic surfactants were examined for their effectiveness as preservatives for eDNA water samples by simply adding the chemicals to water samples to suppress the degradation of eDNA. The quaternary ammonium compound benzalkonium chloride (BAC) at a final concentration of 0.01% was effective to retain 92% of eDNA derived from the bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus in an 8-h incubation test at ambient temperature, which assumed a transportation of water samples in 1-day field sampling during the daytime. Meanwhile, eDNA in water samples without BAC retained only 14% of the initial eDNA. Moreover, an additional long-term incubation test (up to 10 days) revealed BAC-treated samples retained ~70 and 50% of bluegill DNA compared to the initial amount after 1- and 10-day incubation at ambient temperature, respectively. Meanwhile, eDNA in naïve samples reduced to 20% after 1-day incubation and reached undetectable levels after 10 days. Up to now, many eDNA studies have adopted on-site filtration followed by filter fixation, which requires many pieces of equipment. Addition of BAC can protect eDNA in water samples with less effort and equipment resulting in an increase of measurement accuracy of the eDNA quantity and detection probability of rare species by preventing the disappearance of rare sequences in water samples.