Additives Imparting Antimicrobial Properties to Acrylic Bone Cements

PMMA bone cements are mainly used to fix implanted prostheses and are introduced as a fluid mixture, which hardens over time. The problem of infected prosthesis could be solved due to the development of some new antibacterial bone cements. In this paper, we show the results obtained to develop four different modified PMMA bone cements by using antimicrobial additives, such as gentamicin, peppermint oil incorporated in hydroxyapatite, and silver nanoparticles incorporated in a ceramic glass matrix (2 and 4%). The structure and morphology of the modified bone cements were investigated by SEM and EDS. We perform experimental measurements on wettability, hydration degree, and degradation degree after immersion in simulated body fluid. The cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay using the human MG-63 cell line. Antimicrobial properties were checked against standard strains Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. The addition of antimicrobial agents did not significantly affect the hydration and degradation degree. In terms of biocompatibility assessed by the MTT test, all experimental PMMA bone cements are biocompatible. The performance of bone cements with peppermint essential oil and silver nanoparticles against these two pathogens suggests that these antibacterial additives look promising to be used in clinical practice against bacterial infection.

The Archaeology of Morris Cohen: A Jewish Farmer’s Victory over a Groundhog in Nineteenth-Century Green Brook, New Jersey

Excavations at the Vermeule-Mundy House uncovered a rich artifact deposit dating to the mid-1860s. The artifacts can be associated with Morris Cohen, an early Jewish farmer to settle in rural New Jersey, where he raised a family, a range of animals, and grains, and produced a large amount of butter. In an effort to deter a groundhog from burrowing under their porch, the Cohens placed hundreds of ceramic, glass, and iron objects into the burrow. These artifacts provide information about their table settings and agricultural production, and they may provide details about Cohen’s socioeconomic status as well as his Jewish ethnicity through the use of multiple ceramic and glass sets as well as a preference for olive oil.

Recovery of Some Critical Raw Materials from Processing Waste of Feldspar Ore Related to Hydrothermally Altered Granite: Laboratory-Scale Beneficiation

Feldspar for ceramic/glass industries requires sufficiently low content of harmful colourants (Fe-, Ti-, Mn-bearing mineral phases). Hydrothermally altered albite-rich granites are increasingly used as feldspar raw material nowadays; however, they are often marked by increased content of colourants, which must be removed during the processing of feldspar ore. Parallel to the content of colourants, these phases show enrichment in some critical raw materials (CRMs), specifically of Nb, Ta, and Li. In the current study, the laboratory trials focused on the possibility of reprocessing of waste generated during basic magnetic separation of feldspar ore. Major aim of these trials was to search for a processing scheme that would allow for obtaining of mineralogically homogeneous fractions, part of which could be utilised as a source of CRMs. According to the results, combination of gravity, magnetic and heavy liquid separation is highly effective in obtaining of desirable concentrates. Feldspar ore processing waste thus presents potential source of CRMs; however, semi-industrial and full-scale trial must follow in order to prove the economic and environmental suitability of the suggested processing scheme.

Rescuing archeological researches in Krakow suburb of Lviv

Results of rescuing archeological researches carried out by the expedition of SRC “Rescuing archaeological service” of IA of NAS of Ukraine led by N. Voitovych on the territory of building of private medical centre are presented at the article. During field season of 2013 archeological researches in Pidmurna Street, 5 were focused on the southern part of examined locality, where trench 2 with an area of 26.2 м² was dug. Through archeological researches remains of the foundation of Austrian building was discovered and also part of interior of basement (stone pavement) was found. In addition, wooden construction of residential use was discovered. It was destroyed in a fire in the second half of XVII century. A significant amount of mobile material in a good taphonomic condition was recorded in the infill of the building. It consisted of ceramic, glass and metal ware, tiles, metal products (stirrups, coins, crossbow arrowhead). At the southern wall of the trench, a cluster of wood was discovered, which served as a strengthening of the slope to prevent falling. The last one can be dated back to XVII–XVIII centuries. Another wooden construction was found in the cultural layers of XV–XVI centuries. It was also discovered anthropogenic layers that can be dated back from VIII century B.C. to XVIII–XIX centuries A. D. inclusively. Archaeological material, dated back from VIII century B.C. to XVIII century A. D. inclusively was found in the trench. It is established that the bedrock was found on the depth of 4.3–4.9 m, with a decrease to the north-eastern direction. A significant amount of mobile material was collected. The largest number of finds is represented by artifacts from Late Middle Ages (ceramic, glass and wooden ware, building ceramics, leather footwear, products made of metal), which indicates that population of the former Old Rus' suburbs not finished after the capture of Lviv by Kazimierz III and relocation of the city inside the walls, but on the contrary – obtained a new momentum to its further development, this time as a Krakow suburb of Lviv. Key words: Lviv, Pidmurna Street, archeological researches, wooden construction, ceramic ware, leather footwear, metal products.

Material Histories and the Dynamics of Racism in Setauket

Chapter 5 interprets the material culture collected from the excavations of the Silas Tobias and Jacob and Hannah Hart sites. Discussions of each collection provide an understanding of how life for people of color in Setauket changed due to increasing restrictions on their freedom and autonomy after the end of slavery. Analysis of faunal, botanical, lithic, ceramic, glass, and architectural artifacts are the main focus.

Receptacle interacts with consumers’ need for touch to influence tea-drinking experience

PurposeThis study was designed to investigate how the material properties of the tea-drinking receptacle interact with a participant's motivation and preference for extracting and using information obtained via haptic perception, namely the need for touch (NFT), to influence his or her tea-drinking experience.Design/methodology/approach72 blindfolded participants were instructed to sample room temperature tea beverages served in a cup that was made of ceramic, glass, paper or plastic. They were then asked to rate how familiar they were with the taste of the beverage, to rate how pleasant the taste was and to specify how much they would like to pay for it (i.e. willingness-to-pay ratings).FindingsThe material of the receptacles used to serve the tea exerted a significant influence over the pleasantness ratings of the tea and interacted with the participants' NFT, exerting a significant influence over their willingness to pay for the tea. Specifically, high-NFT participants were willing to pay significantly more for the same cup of tea when it was served in a ceramic cup rather than in a paper cup, whereas the low-NFT participants' willingness to pay for the tea was unaffected by the material of the receptacles.Originality/valueOur findings suggest that consumers may not be equally susceptible to the influence of the receptacle in which tea, or any other beverage, is served. Our findings also demonstrate how the physical properties of a receptacle interact with a consumer's motivation and preference to influence his or her behavior in the marketplace.

Processing waste from feldspar raw material as a potential source of certain strategic elements

<p>Feldspar-rich leucogranite formed by metasomatic / hydrothermal alteration of original granite makes one of the key resources of feldspar raw material for ceramic / glass industries in the Czech Republic. Studied material is composed by prevailing albite and quartz accompanied with small amounts of minor / accessory phases which represent the major harmful components responsible for colour changes in final product. To improve quality of marketed feldspar, part of exploited raw material started to be processed by using magnetic separation in recent years.</p><p>To increase efficiency of processing, trials on usage of additional processing / separation methods have been applied in recent study. The approach involves three successive steps: (1) laboratory, (2) small-scale, and (3) full-scale separation schemes.</p><p>Concerning laboratory separation, several grams of input material were processed by using magnetic separation and gravity separation. This helped in separation of major harmful components (Fe-, Mn-, Ti-rich phases partly with complex mineralogical binding with Nb–Ta, Li-micas, and apatite).</p><p>Small-scale separation as a second step attempted to find optimized processing flow-chart usable for separation of some potentially interesting phases (Li-rich and Nb-Ta minerals). Control of the best granulometry presented one of the challenges. By studying various separation techniques, combination of dry magnetic separation and air gravity concentrating table proved to be very effective.</p><p>During full-scale separation several tons of input material were processed by magnetic separation followed by air-gravity concentrating table. The chemical composition of separation end-products was tested by XRF. Properties important for ceramic / glass industry (specifically experimental burning and colorimetric measurements) were checked as well. Such an approach allowed for realistic evaluation of the beneficiation flow-chart prior to its implementation on the industrial scale of processing of feldspar raw material.</p>