The effect of frequency and power density on the ultrasonically-enhanced killing of biofilm-sequestered Escherichia coli

Infection on implanted medical devices is a critical concern because the bacteria are recalcitrant to antibiotic therapy; currently the only way to eliminate the infection is to remove the device. We have found that low-frequency ultrasound renders bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. The effect of low-intensity ultrasound on the enhancement of antibiotic action against biofilm bacteria was measured by subjecting thick E. coli biofilms for 2 h at 37°C to one of four conditions: (1) incubation in nutrient broth; (2) incubation in nutrient broth with antibiotic; (3) ultrasonication in nutrient broth without antibiotic; and (4) ultrasonication in nutrient broth with antibiotic. Two frequencies (70 and 500 kHz) and several ultrasonic intensities were examined, ranging from 2 to 200 mW/cm². It was determined that low-intensity ultrasound significantly enhanced killing of biofilm E. coli by gentamicin. This enhancement increased with increasing ultrasonic intensity and decreased with increasing frequency. A mathematical model of ultrasonically-enhanced transport in cylindrical pores and channels shows that gentamicin transport increases with ultrasonic intensity and decreases with increasing frequency. However, the magnitude of increased transport is so small that it is difficult to attribute enhanced killing of bacteria to enhanced antibiotic transport through the pores and channels of the biofilm; therefore, other mechanisms must play a role. The use of low-intensity ultrasound in conjunction with antibiotic treatment may prove to be a viable clinical method of eliminating biofilm infections from the surfaces of implanted medical devices.     

Stability of Runge-Kutta methods for delay differential systems with multiple delays

The stability of Runge-Kutta methods for systems of delay differentialequations (DDEs) with multiple delays is considered. The stabilityregions of explicit and implicit Runge-Kutta methods are discussedwhen they are applied to asymptotically stable linear DDEs withmultiple delays. A simple estimate on the stability regionsof explicit Runge-Kutta methods is presented. It is shown thatthe stable step-size for numerical integration of DDEs withmultiple delays can be easily selected by means of the estimate.     

ee0A GeV S+Au反应中光子产生的低横动量增强

用建立在LUND弦模型特别是PYTHIA事件产生器基础上的描写极端相对论性核一核碰撞的强子和弦级联模型—JPCIAE研究了入射能量为200A GeV的S+ Au中心碰撞中光子产生.模型同时考虑了部分子QCD散射过程、强子末态相互作用以及强子衰变等光子产生反应道并作了协调处理.JPCIAE模型计算结果很好再现了WA93实验数据所呈现的低横动量增强效应.     

A pulsed-leak valve for use with ion trapping mass spectrometers

A pulsed-leak valve that allows the introduction of a prolonged, flat, and controllable pulse of gas is described. Test results from the valve that utilized a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer with Ar and C₂H₆ as the sample gases indicate that the valve functions as expected and yields basically rectangular pressure profiles in the cell region. The rise and fall times are similar to those of just the stand-alone pulsed valve and are believed to be determined mainly by the design of the vacuum system, rather than the design of the pulsed-leak valve. Kinetic data for the reaction of Nb⁺ with C₂H₆, acquired with the use of the pulsed-leak valve to introduce the C₂H₆ gas, demonstrates the practical application of this valve for kinetic and other analogous studies. Use of the pulsed-leak valve greatly reduces the loss of the reactant ion signal during the cooling period.