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Determination of lead and cadmium in ceramicware leach solutions by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy: method development and interlaboratory trial.

This method was developed to improve sensitivity and eliminate time consuming, evaporative pre-concentration in AOAC Method 973.82 and American Society for Testing and Materials method C738 for testing foodware. The method was developed using leach solutions obtained by leaching 9 differently decorated ceramic vessels with 4% acetic acid for 24 h at room temperature. Lead and cadmium concentrations in leach solutions were 0.005-17,600 and 0.0004-0.500 microg/mL, respectively. Concentrations were determined using peak area, phosphate chemical modifier (8.3 microg PO4(-3)), and a standard curve for quantitation. Optimized pre-atomization and atomization temperatures were 1,300 and 1,800 degrees C, respectively, for Pb and 1,100 and 1,700 degrees C, respectively, for Cd. Characteristic masses (mo) were 10 and 0.4 pg for Pb and Cd, respectively. Precision of repeated analyses of calibration solutions was < or =3% relative standard deviation. Precision of duplicate leach solution analyses on different days was 0-9% relative difference. Recovery from fortified leach solutions was 96-106%. Results obtained by this method agreed 92-110% with those of confirmatory analyses. Results of certified reference material solutions agreed 94-100% with certificate values. Pb and Cd limits of quantitation (LOQ) were 0.005 and 0.0005 microg/mL, respectively. Results from 3 trial laboratories for 4 leach solutions containing Pb and Cd concentrations of 0.017-1.47 and <0.0005-0.0864 microg/mL, respectively, agreed 89-102% with results of the author. Two attributes of this method were noteworthy: (1) Background absorbance due to organic matter was entirely absent from atomization profiles, making the use of short pre-atomization hold times (2 s) possible. (2) Instrument precision was excellent and only one determination per solution was needed. Acceptance criteria for quality control measurements and a practical procedure for estimating the method LOQ during routine regulatory analyses are described.

Acetic Acid↗

An anionic galactomannan polysaccharide gum from a newly-isolated lactose-utilizing bacterium. I. Strain description and gum characterization.

As part of an effort to obtain microorganisms able to produce polysaccharide gums from whey and whey permeate, soil samples from farm fields regularly treated with whey were screened for bacteria able to produce gums from lactose. The most promising organism isolated (ATCC 55046) is a facultative anaerobe, tentatively identified as a new Erwinia species on the basis of biochemical and morphological tests. The organism produces a polysaccharide gum from lactose and other sugars (herein named lactan gum) composed of mannose, galactose, and galacturonic acid with an approximate molar ratio of 5:3:2 and containing no organic acid modifying groups. The weight average molecular weight of the gum is approximately 7 x 10(6). Aqueous solutions of lactan gum exhibit shear-thinning and elastic flow behavior with an estimated power law model flow index of 0.26 at 1% (w/w) gum. The viscosity of aqueous 1% (w/w) lactan gum solutions is stable over a pH range of 2-11, being particularly stable in alkaline environments. Aqueous 1% (w/w) gum solutions at pH 5-11 show excellent thermostability, retaining at least 80% of the original viscosity after being heated to 121 degrees C for 15 min. These flow properties indicate potential industrial applications in food and nonfood products requiring a moderate degree of thickening, wet-end additives and coating agents for paper products, ceramics, detergents, and binders for building materials.

Bacteria, Anaerobic↗

Impact resistance of ceramic brackets according to ophthalmic lenses standards.

The overall resistance to accidental blows of the many ceramic brackets that are sold today has not been explored. Facing a similar diversity, the eyeglasses industry has chosen to standardize the testing of lenses by subjecting them to the drop of a steel ball. By slightly modifying this test, 10 brands of ceramic brackets were examined. In most cases, the findings coincided with those found by other authors when duplicating debonding. Thus, polycrystalline ceramics with bulkier structures and glazed surfaces were found to be more resistant to impact than the monocrystalline brackets, the loftier real "twins," and the less dense attachments. Protruding tie wings and bases were liabilities, and domed configurations seemed to deflect the blows. Bulkier "single" designs alone did not offer a guarantee of impact resistance when not accompanied by an appropriate microstructure and a smooth surface. The ceramic brackets most resistant to impact were found to be 20/20 by American Orthodontics and Fascination by Dentaurum. Medium resistance was displayed by Lumina by Ormco, Allure III and Allure by GAC, Transcend 2000 and Transcend by Unitek/3M; the last was not as good as the other four. The least resistant were Illusion by Ortho-Organizers, Intrigue by Lancer Orthodontics, and Starfire TMB by "A"-Co. Probably because of its real twin design, the last bracket lends itself to the highest probability for accidental breakage. Although resistance to impact and accidental debonding is desirable from the point of view of treatment, the advantage should be weighted against the chance of enamel fracture. Indeed a weak bracket attached with a soft adhesive may be preferable when the chance of an increased exposure to accidental blows is probable. In such cases, the ceramic may take the brunt of the force, instead of the tooth.

Aluminum Oxide↗

Solid-phase capture of proteins, spores, and bacteria.

Current methods for the detection of pathogens in food and water samples generally require a preenrichment step that allows selective enrichment of the test organism. The objective of this research was to eliminate an enrichment step to allow detection of bacteria directly in food and water samples in 30 min. A high-flow-rate, fluidized bed to capture and concentrate large (bacteria and spores) and small (protein) molecules was developed. This format, ImmunoFlow, is volume independent and uses large beads (greater than 3 mm in diameter) when capturing bacteria to prevent sample clogging when testing food samples. Detection of bound targets was done using existing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocols. Four antibodies (anti-Escherichia coli O157:H7, -Bacillus globigii, -bovine serum albumin [BSA], and -ovalbumin [OVA]) were covalently coupled to various glass and ceramic beads. Very small amounts of BSA (<1 ng) and OVA (0.2 to 4.0 microg) were detected. Various industrial and environmental samples were used to observe the effect of the sample composition on the capture of anti-B. globigii and anti-E. coli O157:H7 modified beads. The lower limit of detection for both E. coli O157:H7 and B. globigii was 1 spore/cell independent of the sample size. The activity of anti-B. globigii modified beads declined after 3 days. Anti-E. coli O157:H7 modified beads declined in their capture ability after 2 days in various storage buffers. Storage temperature (4 and 25 degrees C) did not influence the stability. The ImmunoFlow technology is capable of capturing bacteria and spores directly from samples, with subsequent detection in an ELISA format in 30 min.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Lead toxicity in older adults.

Recent studies have shown that lead, even at relatively low levels of exposure, has the potential to harm not only the young and the occupationally-exposed, but also older people. Because they have been alive for a longer period of time, older adults have had more potential exposures to lead. They may have been exposed to lead while working in unregulated occupations, or they may have encountered more lead in the environment on a daily basis. Several large epidemiological studies have found that older people have higher blood and bone lead levels than younger adults. Additionally, sporadic clusters of acute lead exposure among older adults as a result of activities such as ceramic glaze hobby work and consumption of moonshine whiskey continue to be reported. After lead enters the body, it circulates in the blood reaching the soft tissues and bone. Researchers have learned that lead can hibernate within bone for decades. Although lead within bone is of uncertain toxicity to bone tissue, conditions of bone resorption, such as osteoporosis, can cause bone lead to reenter the bloodstream where it can then re-expose the soft tissue, and, potentially, exert delayed deleterious effects. Evidence is emerging that blood and bone lead levels, reflecting relatively modest exposures, are associated with hypertension, renal insufficiency, and cognitive impairment. Medical treatments that now exist to slow the rate of bone resorption may maintain lead within bones. On-going studies evaluating the relationship between body lead stores and both cognitive and renal impairment, as well as the potential modifying effect of bone resorption, will help determine whether bone resorption should be retarded specifically to preserve organ function. Physicians should be aware of potential past and present lead exposures among their older patients. Ongoing lead exposure should be prevented. In the future, treatment of osteoporosis may be undertaken not only to improve bone health but also to prevent mobilization of bone lead stores and subsequent toxicity.

Aged↗

Thermal oxidation enhances early interactions between human osteoblasts and alumina blasted Ti6Al4V alloy.

Oxidation of Ti6Al4V at 500 degrees C for 1 h in air results in the formation of an outer ceramic layer that improves osteoblast behavior and decreases Ti and Al ion release. In this work, alumina blasted Ti6Al4V alloy has been thermally treated and its in vitro biocompatibility has been assessed. Roughness of the blasted alloy was not found significantly altered after heat treatment while chemical surface analysis indicated an increase in stable TiO(2) and Al(2)O(3) oxides. Cell attachment, spreading, cytoskeleton organization as well as cell proliferation, viability, and procollagen I peptide secretion of human primary osteoblasts, impaired on alumina blasted Ti6Al4V, were found to be greatly enhanced on the thermally oxidized blasted alloy. Other informative markers of the osteoblastic phenotype such as alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, osteoprotegerin, and mineralized nodule formation were evaluated and indicated that osteoblasts responded at the same extent on untreated and thermally treated blasted alloys. Taken together, our in vitro results indicate that thermal oxidation of alumina blasted Ti6Al4V may favor successful osseointegration by promoting early interactions of osteoblastic cells and the modified surface alloy.

Actins↗

Covalent attachment of the plant natural product naringenin to small glass and ceramic beads.

BACKGROUND: Natural products have numerous medicinal applications and play important roles in the biology of the organisms that accumulate them. Few methods are currently available for identifying proteins that bind to small molecules, therefore the discovery of cellular targets for natural products with pharmacological activity continues to pose a significant challenge in drug validation. Similarly, the identification of enzymes that participate in the biosynthesis or modification of natural products remains a formidable bottleneck for metabolic engineering. Flavonoids are one large group of natural products with a diverse number of functions in plants and in human health. The coupling of flavonoids to small ceramic and glass beads provides a first step in the development of high-throughput, solid-support base approaches to screen complex libraries to identify proteins that bind natural products. RESULTS: The utilization of small glass and ceramic beads as solid supports for the coupling of small molecules was explored. Initial characterization of the beads indicated uniform and high capacity loading of amino groups. Once the beads were deemed adequate for the linking of small molecules by the coupling of NHS-fluorescein followed by microscopy, chemical hydrolysis and fluorometry, the flavonoid naringenin was modified with 1,4-dibromobutane, followed by the attachment of aminopropyltriethoxysilane. After NMR structural confirmation, the resulting 7-(4-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propylamino)butoxy) naringenin was attached to the ceramic beads. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that ceramic and glass beads provide convenient solid supports for the efficient and facile coupling of small molecules. We succeeded in generating naringenin-coupled ceramic and glass beads. We also developed a convenient series of steps that can be applied for the solid-support coupling of other related flavonoids. The availability of solid-support coupled naringenin opens up new opportunities for the identification of flavonoid-binding proteins.

Journal Article↗

Hot leaching of ceramic and enameled cookware: collaborative study.

A hot leach method published by the World Health Organization for determining Pb and Cd in ceramic and enameled ware was collaboratively studied in 14 laboratories. The method consisted of heating a solution of 4% acetic acid at the boil for 2 h in 6 samples of specially glazed ceramic ware and 6 samples of special enameled ware. The acid was allowed to cool and stand in contact with the ware for an additional 22 h. At the end of the 2 h heating period and again at the end of the 24 h period, the leach solution was assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for Pb and Cd. Ruggedness testing before the collaborative study revealed that: (1) the quantity of metal released increased as the average leach temperature approached the boiling point, (2) the quantity of Pb and Cd released from enameled ware increased linearly with time during 7 h of boiling, (3) the concentration of acid could be varied from 2 to 6% with no apparent effect on the amount of metal released, and (4) the room temperature (RT) contact period lasting from 22 to 120 h (after the 2 h heating period) did not increase the amount of metal released. The quantities of Pb and Cd measured by the collaborators at the end of 2 h of heating and after 24 h of total contact were essentially identical. The amounts of Pb and Cd were not related to the quantity of acid solution required to restore the leach solution volume to its initial value after boiling. The collaborative results showed that the period of standing at RT is not necessary and probably can be eliminated from the method. The modified method, which requires analysis of the leach solution immediately after the 2 h heating period, has been adopted interim official first action by AOAC.

Acetates↗

Effect of filler porosity on the abrasion resistance of nanoporous silica gel/polymer composites.

OBJECTIVES: This laboratory study was designed to investigate the effect of controlled nanoporosity on the wear resistance of polymeric composites reinforced with silica gel powders and to determine the mechanisms controlling the abrasive wear properties of these unique nanostructured materials. METHODS: Silica gels were prepared by hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) using four different catalysts to modify the porous structure of the resulting polysilicate silanation, an organic monomer (TEGDMA) containing various initiators was introduced into the gel powders to form a paste. The various pastes were then polymerized inside a glass mold. A pin-on-disk apparatus was then used to record the specimen length and number of revolutions. Abrasive wear rates were determined by regression analysis and statistical differences were determined by analysis of variance and multiple comparisons. BET was used to characterize the filler pore structure and scanning electron microscopy was used used to visually examine the abraded surfaces. RESULTS: Significant differences (p < 0.05) in the wear rates of the experimental composites were noted. Within the range of filler porosities examined, wear resistance was found to be linearly dependent (R2 = 0.983) on filler pore volume. The wear rates decreased with increasing filler porosity. HCl-catalyzed gels having low porosity produced composites having relatively limited abrasion resistance. In contrast, high porosity HF-catalyzed gels produced more wear-resistant composites. The abrasive wear resistance of these nanocomposites was not significantly affected by the level of silane coupling used in these experiments. SEM evaluation suggested that better wear resistance was associated with fine-scale plastic deformation of the wear surface and the absence of filler particle pullout. SIGNIFICANCE: Porous particles prepared via sol-gel show some promise as fillers that improve the wear resistance of photopolymerized resins. The wear resistance of the fillers appears to be directly related to nanoporous structure of the gel particles. Unlike conventional dental composites, these materials rely primarily on nanomechanical coupling for improved wear resistance. This new principle should benefit subsequent investigations.

Ceramics↗