Effect of photocatalysis (TiO2/UVA) on the inactivation and inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factors expression.

Water disinfection using visible light-active photocatalyst has recently attracted more attention due to its potential to inactivate microbes. In this study, we have investigated the efficiency of photocatalysis (TiO2/UVA) on the inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the attenuation of its virulence factors. For this aim, the photocatalytic effects of TiO2/UVA on the cultivability and viability of P. aeruginosa were investigated. Furthermore, during the photocatalysis, the morphology of the bacterial cells was examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) while the virulence factors were assessed by protease and lipase activities in addition to the mobility and communication of cells. The results revealed that during the photocatalysis the bacterial cells lost their cultivability and viability on agar under the action of the reactive oxygen species generated by the photocatalytic reaction. In addition, AFM observations have shown a damage of the bacterial membrane and a total disruption of the bacterial cells. Moreover, the major virulence factors such as biofilm, lipase and protease expression have been markedly inhibited by TiO2/UVA treatment. In addition, the bacteria lost their ability of communication 'quorum sensing' and mobility with twitching and swarming types after 60 min of photocatalytic treatment. Accordingly, TiO2/UVA is an effective method to reduce P. aeruginosa virulence and to prevent biofilm formation.

Comparative study of Gram-negative bacteria response to solar photocatalytic inactivation.

Solar photocatalytic inactivation of Gram-negative bacteria with immobilized TiO2-P25 in a fixed-bed reactor was modeled with simplified kinetic equations. The kinetic parameters are the following: the photocatalytic inactivation coefficient (kd,QUV), the initial bacterial reduction rate (A) in the contact with the disinfecting agent, and the threshold level of damage (n) were determined to report the effect of QUV/TiO2-P25 on bacterial cultivability and viability and to compare the response of bacterial strains to photocatalytic treatment. In addition, the integration of the reactivation coefficient (Cr) in the photocatalytic inactivation equation allowed evaluating the ability of bacterial reactivation after photocatalytic stress. Results showed different responses of the bacteria strains to photocatalytic stress and the ability of certain bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli ATCC25922 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC4114 to resuscitate after photocatalytic treatment.

ZnO Nanorods with High Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Activity under Solar Light Irradiation.

ZnO nanorods (NRs) with an average length and diameter of 186 and 20 nm, respectively, were prepared through a mild solvothermal route and used as photocatalysts either as dispersed powder or immobilized on glass slides. The ZnO NRs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Dispersed ZnO NRs and, to a lesser extent, immobilized ZnO NRs were demonstrated to exhibit high photocatalytic activity under simulated sunlight of low intensity (5.5 mW/cm²) both for the degradation of the Orange II dye and for Escherichia coli bacterial decontamination (2.5-fold survival decrease after 180 min irradiation for immobilized NRs). SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence spectroscopy, and epifluorescence microscopy demonstrate that cell surface damages are responsible of bacterial inactivation. The immobilized ZnO NRs could be reused up to five times for bacterial decontamination at comparable efficiency and therefore have great potential for real environmental applications.

ZnO nanoparticles sensitized by CuInZn x S2+x quantum dots as highly efficient solar light driven photocatalysts.

Alloyed CuInZn x S2+x (ZCIS) quantum dots (QDs) were successfully associated to ZnO nanoparticles by a thermal treatment at 400 °C for 15 min. The ZnO/ZCIS composite was characterized by TEM, SEM, XRD, XPS and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. ZCIS QDs, with an average diameter of ≈4.5 nm, were found to be homogeneously distributed at the surface of ZnO nanoparticles. ZCIS-sensitized ZnO nanoparticles exhibit a high photocatalytic activity under simulated solar light irradiation for the degradation of Orange II dye (>95% degradation after 180 min of irradiation at an intensity of 5 mW/cm2). The heterojunction built between the ZnO nanoparticle and ZCIS QDs not only extends the light adsorption range by the photocatalyst but also acts to decrease electron/hole recombination. Interestingly, the ZnO/ZCIS composite was found to produce increased amounts of H2O2 and singlet oxygen 1O2 compared to ZnO, suggesting that these reactive oxygen species play a key role in the photodegradation mechanism. The activity of the ZnO/ZCIS composite is retained at over 90% of its original value after ten successive photocatalytic runs, indicating its high stability and its potential for practical photocatalytic applications.

Use of surfactants to reduce the driving voltage of switchable optical elements based on electrowetting.

The advantage of using electrowetting as a novel principle for a reflective display has been previously demonstrated. The principle is based on the controlled two-dimensional movement of an oil/water interface across a hydrophobic fluoropolymer insulator. The main objective of this paper is to show experimentally the influence of surfactants on the electro-optic behavior of a single electrowetting pixel. The concentration and type of nonionic surfactant (Tween 80 and Span 20) have been varied. The experimental data are compared with calculations from the electro-optic model developed previously. The electro-optic performance is significantly affected by the nature and the concentration of surfactant. In the presence of Tween, at concentrations lower than the critical micelle concentration (CMC), and mixtures of Tween and Span the electro-optic behavior can be related to the interfacial tension. When decreasing the oil/water interfacial tension, the amplitude of the driving voltage required for obtaining a given oil displacement decreases and the switching curve becomes steeper. These effects can be accurately reproduced by means of the previously developed electro-optic model. Mixtures of Tween and Span produce a significant synergetic reduction of the driving voltage. For Tween concentrations higher than the CMC and Span, a strong disagreement is observed between the previously developed model and experimental data. Here a new physical model is reported that describes the electro-optic behavior of electrowetting-based optical elements in the presence of surfactants. The model takes into account the actual voltage used to control the liquid movement in electrowetting (lower than the applied voltage), the amount of surfactant adsorbed at the decane/water interface, and the dipole moment of the surfactant molecules. The calculated results are in very good agreement with experimental data without employing fitting parameters. The dipoles interact with the applied field and lower the actual applied field. This reduction of the effective electric field across the solid-liquid interface induces a decrease in the charge density at the solid-liquid interface and reduces the electrowetting force. For surfactant concentrations higher than the CMC, the electro-optic performance does not depend on the surfactant concentration. This demonstrates that the reduction of the electrowetting field due to the large dipole moment of the surfactant molecules occurs at the oil/water interface. A new method for the test cell fabrication is also presented.

Vitamin A/retinoids signalling in the human lung.

Vitamin A is used as a generic term for all vitamin A derivatives with retinol-like biological activity. Retinol is the main parent compound for vitamin A. It derives from carotenoids (provitamin A) and also directly from the pre-formed vitamin A contained in the diet. The term "retinoid" is a generic descriptor of compounds structurally related to vitamin A and the synthetic analogues of retinol with or without biological activity. Retinoic acid is the active cellular catabolite. Vitamin A/retinoids have been given cancer-preventive functions and subsequently used in clinical trials to reduce lung cancer incidence in high-risk individuals. The results obtained have been in contradiction with both in vivo and in vitro promising studies. It seems therefore necessary to develop a better understanding of the vitamin A/retinoids signalling pathways in the lung. With this aim, we summarise the relevant knowledge focussed on the lung.