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Biofilm System (biofilm + system)
Selected AbstractsCariogenicity of soluble starch in oral in vitro biofilm and experimental rat caries studies: a comparisonJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2008T. Thurnheer Abstract Aims:, Common belief suggests that starch is less cariogenic than sugar; however, the related literature is quite controversial. We aimed to compare cariogenic and microbiological effects of soluble starch in both a standard animal model and an oral biofilm system, and to assess the possible substitution of the animal model. Methods and Results:, Six-species biofilms were grown anaerobically on enamel discs in saliva and medium with glucose/sucrose, starch (average molecular weight of 5000, average polymerization grade of 31), or mixtures thereof. After 64·5 h of biofilm formation, the microbiota were quantitated by cultivation and demineralization was measured by quantitative light-induced fluorescence. To assess caries incidence in rats, the same microbiota as in the biofilm experiments were applied. The animals were fed diets containing either glucose, glucose/sucrose, glucose/sucrose/starch or starch alone. Results with both models show that demineralization was significantly smaller with starch than sucrose. Conclusions:, The data demonstrate that soluble starch is substantially less cariogenic than glucose/sucrose. Significance and Impact of the Study:, By leading to the same scientific evidence as its in vivo counterpart, the described in vitro biofilm system provides an interesting and valuable tool in the quest to reduce experimentation with animals. [source] Nitrite accumulation characteristics of high strength ammonia wastewater in an autotrophic nitrifying biofilm reactorJOURNAL OF CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY & BIOTECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Ho-Joon Yun Abstract Selective nitrification was carried out to accumulate nitrite from high strength ammonia wastewater in an autotrophic nitrifying biofilm reactor. Nitrification efficiencies and nitrite accumulation characteristics were investigated at various operating conditions such as ammonium load, oxygen supply and free ammonia concentration. The biofilm reactor showed very stable nitrification efficiencies of more than 90% at up to 2,kg,NH4 -N,m,3,d,1 and the nitrite content was maintained at around 95%. Inhibition by free ammonia on nitrite oxidizers seems to be the major factor for nitrite accumulation. Batch kinetic analyses of ammonium and nitrite oxidation showed that nitrite oxidation activity was selectively inhibited in the presence of free ammonia. However, the activity recovered quickly as the free ammonia concentration decreased below the threshold inhibition concentration. Examination of specific ammonia and nitrite oxidation activities and the most probable number indicated that the number of nitrite-oxidizing microorganisms in the nitrite-accumulating system was less than that in the normal nitrification system due to long-term free ammonia inhibition of the nitrite oxidizers. The reduced population of nitrite oxidizers in the biofilm system was also responsible for the accumulation of nitrite in the biofilm reactor. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Inactivation of the rhlA gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa prevents rhamnolipid production, disabling the protection against polymorphonuclear leukocytesAPMIS, Issue 7 2009MARIA VAN GENNIP Many of the virulence factors produced by the opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa are quorum-sensing (QS) regulated. Among these are rhamnolipids, which have been shown to cause lysis of several cellular components of the human immune system, e.g. monocyte-derived macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). We have previously shown that rhamnolipids produced by P. aeruginosa cause necrotic death of PMNs in vitro. This raises the possibility that rhamnolipids may function as a ,biofilm shield'in vivo, which contributes significantly to the increased tolerance of P. aeruginosa biofilms to PMNs. In the present study, we demonstrate the importance of the production of rhamnolipids in the establishment and persistence of P. aeruginosa infections, using an in vitro biofilm system, an intraperitoneal foreign-body model and a pulmonary model of P. aeruginosa infections in mice. Our experimental data showed that a P. aeruginosa strain, unable to produce any detectable rhamnolipids due to an inactivating mutation in the single QS-controlled rhlA gene, did not induce necrosis of PMNs in vitro and exhibited increased clearance compared with its wild-type counterpart in vivo. Conclusively, the results support our model that rhamnolipids are key protective agents of P. aeruginosa against PMNs. [source] Development and calibration of a nitrification PDE model based on experimental data issued from biofilter treating drinking waterBIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING, Issue 2 2006I. Queinnec Abstract To remove ammonia for production of drinking water, nitrification can be performed in a bio-filter. At least 1 month is necessary to capture from the groundwater and then grow a sufficient amount of nitrifying bacteria to reach the desired removal efficiency. Improving start-up of bio-filters at low substrate concentration is therefore a major challenge. In this connection, it is important to develop appropriate models for designing, monitoring or analysing biofilm systems during start-up or following disinfection events. This study discusses the development and calibration of a nitrification PDE model which reflects the compromise between the complexity associated with the description of the full physical and biochemical mechanisms and the search for a simplified model with identifiable parameters. This model takes only the relevant phenomena (considering the full operating range) into account. The validity of the calibrated model has been evaluated through experiments under very different operational conditions, at the laboratory and under real industrial conditions, involving the full upstream chain of water treatment (iron oxidation and sand filter). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||