1,720,989 research outputs found
Method development for enhanced antifouling testing using novel natural products against marine biofilms
No full textMarine biofouling is the accumulation of organisms on underwater surfaces, causing increased ship hydrodynamic drag, which results in higher fuel consumption and decreased speed and range. Biofilms constitute a major component of the overall biofouling and may lead to a 14 % increase in ship fuel costs. Past solutions to antifouling (AF) have used toxic coatings which have subsequently been shown to severely affect marine life. The prohibited use of these antifoulants has led to the search for bio-inspired AF strategies. Current approaches towards the production of alternative coatings include the incorporation of natural AF compounds into paints.Screening assays for novel AF compounds are often separated into two categories; toxicity and AF assays. Increasingly there is evidence that active compounds affect organisms at non-toxic concentrations, hence, the necessity for more insightful AF testing, such as bacterial and diatom attachment. This study assessed natural product (NP) antifouling performance of two marine seaweeds (Chondrus crispus and Bifurcaria bifurcata) and two isolated pure compounds from terrestrial sources (usnic acid and juglone) against two marine biofilm bacteria, Cobetia marina and Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus. Overall it was found that all NPs affected bacterial attachment, however, juglone demonstrated the best AF performance against both bacterial species at a concentration range between 5 - 20 ppm.Biofilm colonisation is a surface related phenomenon, thus novel bioassays have been developed to directly test biofilm attachment and growth on NP-containing coatings for both static and hydrodynamic conditions. This study has incorporated NPs into a model coating system, using two formulations in order to assess their effect on biofilm growth. Laboratory screening of NP-containing coatings is often largely unexplored mainly due to difficulties in assessing their activity over short experimental time scales (typically only a maximum of a few days). To date there are only a limited number of reports on laboratory assessment for antifouling paints and their effect on biofilm growth and/or attachment. In this study, NP-containing model paints were applied on to coupons, placed in 24-well plates and then inoculated with the marine biofilm forming bacteria. This has been achieved by the development of a novel bioassay protocol that has allowed the in situ observation of biofilm formation and growth, by corroborating different techniques such as a multidetection microplate reader and confocal laser scanning microscopy (through nucleic acid staining). There was good correlation between the two techniques which showed that the NP containing coatings significantly inhibited biofilm growth and also revealed marked differences in biofilm structure (e.g. bio-volume, morphology and thickness). The goal of this study was to develop a new protocol to allow assessment of biofilm formation on coatings in a high throughput non-invasive manner.New protocols and methods using microfluidic devices were developed for the assessment of bacterial attachments and initial biofilm formation in the presence and absence of a NP under hydrodynamic conditions. This led to the development and fabrication of a novel lab-on-a-chip device for the investigation of the biofilm response to different hydrodynamic conditions. The microfluidic flow channels were designed using computational fluid dynamic simulations so as to have a pre-defined, homogeneous wall shear stress in the channels, ranging from 0.03 to 4.30 Pa, which are relevant to in-service conditions on a ship hull
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Anti-biofilm performance of three natural products against initial bacterial attachment
No full textAbstract: Marine bacteria contribute significantly towards the fouling consortium, both directly (modern foul release coatings fail to prevent “slime” attachment) and indirectly (biofilms often excrete chemical cues that attract macrofouling settlement). This study assessed the natural product anti-biofilm performance of an extract of the seaweed, Chondrus crispus, and two isolated compounds from terrestrial sources, (+)-usnic acid and juglone, against two marine biofilm forming bacteria, Cobetia marina and Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus. Bioassays were developed using quantitative imaging and fluorescent labelling to test the natural products over a range of concentrations against initial bacterial attachment. All natural products affected bacterial attachment; however, juglone demonstrated the best anti-biofilm performance against both bacterial species at a concentration range between 5–20 ppm. In addition, for the first time, a dose-dependent inhibition (hormetic) response was observed for natural products against marine biofilm forming bacteria
Data from NPL rheometer testing of 25 mm black plastic discs. Sandpaper roughness and marine fouling exposures with fatty acid (FA) and bromolein (Br) additives in PMMA coating
No full textIn this study a miniaturised benchtop rotating disc method is described that uses test discs 25 mm in diameter. A highly sensitive analytical rheometer is used to measure the torque acting on the discs rotating in water. Model rough surfaces were prepared by attaching different grades of sandpaper to the disc surface. Discs with experimental antifouling coatings applied were exposed in the marine environment for the accumulation of microbial fouling, and the rotor was capable of detecting the increased drag due to biofilm formation. The drag due to biofilm was related to an equivalent sand roughness height.</span
Miniaturized rotating disc rheometer test for rapid screening of drag reducing marine coatings
Full text linkFrictional drag from the submerged hull surface of a ship is a major component of the resistance experienced when moving through water. Techniques for measuring frictional drag on test surfaces include towing tanks, flow tunnels and rotating discs. These large-scale methods present practical difficulties that hinder their widespread adoption and they are not conducive to rapid throughput. In this study a miniaturized benchtop rotating disc method is described that uses test discs 25 mm in diameter. A highly sensitive analytical rheometer is used to measure the torque acting on the discs rotating in water. Frictional resistance changes are estimated by comparing momentum coefficients. Model rough surfaces were prepared by attaching different grades of sandpaper to the disc surface. Discs with experimental antifouling coatings applied were exposed in the marine environment for the accumulation of microbial fouling, and the rotor was capable of detecting the increased drag due to biofilm formation. The drag due to biofilm was related to an equivalent sand roughness
Early biofilm and streamer formation is mediated by wall shear stress and surface wettability: a multifactorial microfluidic study
No full textBiofilms are intricate communities of microorganisms encapsulated within a self-produced matrix of extra-polymeric substances (EPS), creating complex three-dimensional structures allowing for liquid and nutrient transport through them. These aggregations offer constituent microorganisms enhanced protection from environmental stimuli-like fluid flow-and are also associated with higher resistance to antimicrobial compounds, providing a persistent cause of concern in numerous sectors like the marine (biofouling and aquaculture), medical (infections and antimicrobial resistance), dentistry (plaque on teeth), food safety, as well as causing energy loss and corrosion. Recent studies have demonstrated that biofilms interact with microplastics, often influencing their pathway to higher trophic levels. Previous research has shown that initial bacterial attachment is affected by surface properties. Using a microfluidic flow cell, we have investigated the relationship between both wall shear stress (τw ) and surface properties (surface wettability) upon biofilm formation of two species (Cobetia marina and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). We investigated biofilm development on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) membranes, Permanox® slides, and glass slides, using nucleic acid staining and end-point confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results show that flow conditions affect biomass, maximum thickness, and surface area of biofilms, with higher τw (5.6 Pa) resulting in thinner biofilms than lower τw (0.2 Pa). In addition, we observed differences in biofilm development across the surfaces tested, with LDPE typically demonstrating more overall biofilm in comparison to Permanox® and glass. Moreover, we demonstrate the formation of biofilm streamers under laminar flow conditions within straight micro-channels.</p
Dataset for Bubbles vs biofilms: a novel method for the removal of marine biofilms attached on antifouling coatings using an ultrasonically activated water stream
No full textDataset to support:
Salta, M. et al (2016) Bubbles vs biofilms: a novel method for the removal of marine biofilms attached on antifouling coatings using an ultrasonically activated water stream. Surface Topography: Metrology and Properties.</span
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