3M Petrifilm Staph Express Count plate method for the enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus in selected types of meat, seafood, and poultry: collaborative study

The 3M Petrifilm Staph Express Count plate method was compared with AOAC Official Method 975.55 for the enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus in selected foods. Four foods--cooked, diced chicken; cured ham; smoked salmon; and pepperoni--were analyzed for S. aureus by 12 collaborating laboratories. For each food tested, the collaborators received 8 blind test samples consisting of a control sample, a low inoculation level, a medium inoculation level, and a medium inoculation level with background flora, each in duplicate. The mean log10 counts for the methods were comparable for all 4 foods. The repeatability and reproducibility variances of the 24 h Petrifilm Staph Express Count plate method were similar to those of the 72 h standard method.     

Surface enhanced Raman scattering investigation of the halide anion effect on the adsorption of 1,2,3-triazole on silver and gold colloidal nanoparticles

The halide anion effect on the adsorption of 1,2,3-triazole on Ag and Au colloidal nanoparticles has been investigated by means of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. To interpret the SERS spectra, the vibrational spectra of 1,2,3-triazole were assigned with the help of density functional theoretical (DFT) calculations of the two tautomers of 1,2,3-triazole, both free and bound to Ag and Au adatoms. Upon addition of halide anions, both tautomers interact with the Ag surface through one nitrogen atom. Analogous behavior is observed in the case of basified Au colloids, whereas at the usual pH of these hydrosols (approximately 6) the adsorption of 1,2,3-triazole is the same of that observed in halide-free colloids.     

Coordination of solvent molecules to VO(acac)<Subscript>2</Subscript> complexes in solution studied by hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance

Interactions and binding sites of the solvent molecules chloroform and ethanol to bis(acetylacetonate)oxovanadium(IV) (VO(acac)₂) complexes in (frozen) solutions have been investigated by pulsed electron nuclear double resonance, sum peak electron spin echo envelope modulation and hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy. The experimental proton hyperfine coupling data of coordinating solvent molecules have been interpreted using quantum chemical calculations (density functional theory). Experimental and computed hyperfine couplings indicate that ethanol coordinates to vanadium in the equatorial plane of VO(acac)₂ and chloroform interacts via hydrogen bonding to oxygens of the acac ligands.     

Mechanical properties decay and morphological behaviour of biodegradable films for agricultural mulching in real scale experiment

The use of plastic materials in agriculture causes the serious drawback of huge quantities of waste. The introduction of biodegradable materials, which can be disposed directly into the soil, can be one possible solution to this problem. Biodegradable materials are actually innovative materials; therefore, their physical properties must be evaluated in relation to their functionality during the use in field. In the present research results of experimental tests carried out on biodegradable films used in strawberries protected cultivation are presented. The decay of some relevant physical parameters of biodegradable films during the cultivation period was monitored by laboratory tests (SEM analysis, mechanical tensile tests and infrared reflectance spectroscopy). Infrared spectroscopy clearly indicated that the mechanical degradation starts from the starch component of the material. Tensile tests showed that the value of elongation at break of biodegradable materials decreased in some cases by 300% after 10 days of field application.     

Synthesis of new tren-based tris-macrocycles. Anion cluster assembling inside the cavity generated by a bowl-shaped receptor

The synthesis of three new tris-macrocycles, containing three [12]aneN(4) (L1), [12]aneN(3)O (L2), or [14]aneN(4) (L3) moieties appended to a tren unit, is reported. The crystal structure of the [(Na(ClO(4))(6)) subset L1(2)H(13)]Na(6)Cl(2)(ClO(4))(12) compound shows the anionic cluster [Na(ClO(4))(6)](5)(-) assembled inside the cavity defined by two bowl-shaped polyammonium receptors, held by multiple charge-charge and hydrogen bond interactions.     

Synthesis, structure and properties of N-acetylated derivatives of methyl 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate

Methyl 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate hydrochloride (1). and free ester (2). were obtained and 2 was reacted with Ac(2)O to give the acetylated products 3-6. Compounds 1-6 were studied using HPLC, GC-MS, FTIR and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, including the cross-polarisation magic angle spinning (CPMAS) technique. The results of the acetylation of 2 were compared to those of the acetylation of 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole, and for 2 a significant decrease in the susceptibility to acetylation was found. The reaction of 2 with Ac(2)O at 20 degrees C, regardless of the amount and the concentration of the latter, including neat Ac(2)O, proceeds fully regioselectively and leads to one product: methyl 1-acetyl-5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate (3). In sharp contrast to 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole, neither an additional monoacetylated isomer, whether annular or exocyclic, nor any diacetylated derivative could be detected. The diacetylation of 2 requires the process to be carried out in neat boiling Ac(2)O and, as in the case of 5-amino-1H-[1,2,4]triazole, gives two diacetylated isomers. These are methyl 1-acetyl-3-(acetylamino)-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-5-carboxylate (4) and 1-acetyl-5-(acetylamino)-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate (5). Hypothetical pathways of their formation have been suggested. A mixture of 4 and 5 upon hydrolysis of the ring acetyl group gives the monoacetylated derivative methyl 5-(acetylamino)-1H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-carboxylate (6). The spectroscopic, structural and conformational characteristics of compounds 1-6 have been given and methods for their preparation have been provided.     

Diastereoselective ring-closing metathesis: synthesis of P-stereogenic phosphinates from prochiral phosphinic acid derivatives

[reaction: see text] The preparation of phosphorus-containing trienes featuring two diastereotopic vinyl moieties followed by a diastereoselective ring-closing metathesis is described. This methodology allowed for the synthesis of novel highly functionalized P-stereogenic heterocycles featuring both an exo- and an endocyclic double bond. An investigation into the factors influencing the diastereochemical outcome of the ring-closing metathesis is also presented, revealing that the geometry of the double bonds conjugated to phosphorus is important and that 1,3-stereoinduction is superior to 1,4-stereoinduction for these reactions.     

Conformational analysis of benzoannulated nine-membered rings. Part 3. 1,4,5,7-Tetrahydro-3H-2,6-benzodiselenine and its 4-spiro derivatives

The ¹H and ¹³C nmr spectra of 1,4,5,7-tetrahydro-3H-2,6-benzodiselenine (1) and three 4-spiro derivatives 2–4 as well as the ⁷⁷Se nmr spectra of 2 have been recorded at different temperatures in order to investigate their conformational behavior. It was found that in analogy to corresponding dithionins the molecules adopt a chiral ground state conformation (Figure 2), and coalescence effects are due to racemization.     

Structure of colloid silica determined by viscosity measurements

The viscosity of nanosized colloid silica suspensions, used as binders in the investment casting, was determined as a function of their weight fraction reaching 52%. A new capillary viscometer was used whose construction eliminated sedimentation effects. The experiments have been carried out at fixed pH 10.0 and controlled ionic strength. It was found that for a low silica concentration range (weight fraction below 5%) the suspension viscosity increased more rapidly than the Einstein theory predicts. This anomalous behavior could not be explained in terms of the primary electroviscous effect predicted to be a few orders of magnitude smaller as observed. This discrepancy was accounted for by postulating a fuzzy, gel-like structure of colloid silicas used in our experiments. Hence, the apparent hydrodynamic radius of silica particles in aqueous suspensions was found to be larger than the primary particle size in accordance with previous observations. Based on this postulate, an apparent density of the silica sols was found to be 1.32-1.37 g/cm(3) instead of 2.2-2.32 g/cm(3) as determined from the suspension dilution method. This behavior was interpreted in terms of the core/shell model with high shell porosity, reaching 85%. Similarly, for higher concentration ranges, silica viscosity increased more rapidly with increased sol concentration than predicted by the Batchelor model derived for hard particles. The deviation was attributed to the secondary electroviscous effect stemming from the electrostatic interactions among silica particles in sheared suspensions. This effect has quantitatively been interpreted in terms of Russel's theory. On the other hand, for the high concentration range the experimental results were well accounted for by the Dougherty-Krieger model. By exploiting our experimental findings a sensitive method of determining the structure and apparent density of silica sols in aqueous media was proposed.