Antimicrobial peptides often show broad-spectrum activity due to a mechanism based on bacterial membrane disruption, which also reduces development of permanent resistance, a desirable characteristic in view of the escalating multidrug resistance problem. Host cell toxicity however requires design of artificial variants of natural AMPs to increase selectivity and reduce side effects. Kiadins were designed using rules obtained from natural peptides active against E. coli and a validated computational algorithm based on a training set of such peptides, followed by rational conformational alterations. In vitro activity, tested against ESKAPE strains (ATCC and clinical isolates), revealed a varied activity spectrum and cytotoxicity that only in part correlated with conformational flexibility. Peptides with a higher proportion of Gly were generally less potent and caused less bacterial membrane alteration, as observed by flow cytometry and AFM, which correlate to structural characteristics as observed by circular dichroism spectroscopy and predicted by molecular dynamics calculations.
Absorbent foams were produced at both the gram scale and the kilogram scale by treating bleached softwood kraft pulp fibers to TEMPO oxidation, followed by washing, fiber disintegration, and freeze drying. Two reaction temperatures and three different dosages of primary oxidant were evaluated to find suitable oxidation conditions. It was found that the absorption and retention capacities were 50 to 70% lower for kilogram-scale foams than for gram-scale foams. SEM studies showed that the kilogram-scale foams had larger pores than the gram-scale foams; this explains the major differences in absorption and retention. The oxidation treatments performed in both scales resulted in a major increase in the amount of carboxylate groups and a major decrease in DP V , but only minor differences in these factors were found in a comparison between pulps from gram-and kilogram-scale experiments. However, the kilogram-scale dispersing equipment appeared to cause more fiber cutting, while the equipment used in the gram-scale experiments promoted the liberation of microfibrils to a greater extent. Furthermore, in both the gram-and kilogram-scale samples, a high dosage of primary oxidant and a low oxidation temperature were found to maximize the retention of liquid.
Kiadins are in silico designed peptides with a strong similarity to diPGLa-H, a tandem sequence of PGLa-H (KIAKVALKAL) and with single, double or quadruple glycine substitutions. They were found to show high variability in their activity and selectivity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, as well as cytotoxicity against host cells, which are influenced by the number and placing of glycine residues along the sequence. The conformational flexibility introduced by these substitutions contributes differently peptide structuring and to their interactions with the model membranes, as observed by molecular dynamics simulations. We relate these results to experimentally determined data on the structure of kiadins and their interactions with liposomes having a phospholipid membrane composition similar to simulation membrane models, as well as to their antibacterial and cytotoxic activities, and also discuss the challenges in interpreting these multiscale experiments and understanding why the presence of glycine residues in the sequence affected the antibacterial potency and toxicity towards host cells in a different manner.
Heat transfer in the rotary kiln is a complex phenomenon due to the different modes of heat transfer. In the first part of this study, the local heat transfer coefficients are analysed theoretically, to describe the heat transfer mechanisms in the cross section of the rotary kiln. Furthermore, the axial solid motion along the length of the kiln is considered in the local surfaces which exchanges the heat. A pilot plant drum of length 0.45 m and internal diameter of 0.6 m has been designed and fabricated to measure the contact heat transfer coefficient from the kiln wall to the covered solid bed. The cylinder is heated continuously by means of three electrical heaters fixed externally around the cylinder at various positions. K-type thermocouples have been used to measure the wall and solid bed temperature along the circumferential and the radial direction. Experiments are performed with various materials such as Quartz sand and Copper pellets of different size, shape and thermal conductivity. The effect of the material properties, the rotational speed (1–6 rpm) and the filling degree (10–20%) on the contact heat transfer have been studied thoroughly.
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