Evaluation of a microscale quantitative suspension test to determine the bactericidal and yeasticidal activity of glutaral - one step to improve sustainability in disinfectant testing.

Aims: To evaluate a newly developed microscale quantitative suspension test compared to the existing standard suspension test using determination of the bactericidal and yeasticidal activity of glutaral as one step to improve the sustainability of disinfectant testing.

Methods: The testing principles of the quantitative suspension test according to VAH method 9 (comparable to EN 13727) was used as a standard suspension test using 8.0 mL product test solution, 1.

Antimicrobial Efficiency and Surface Interactions of Quaternary Ammonium Compound Absorbed on Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) Plasma Treated Fiber-Based Wiping Materials.

The physicochemical interactions between alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (ADBAC) as disinfectant and three commercial wiping materials made from 100% polyester (PET), 55%cellulose/45%PET (blend), and 100% cellulose were investigated after treatment with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma at atmospheric pressure. Wipe material type in terms of cellulose content, liquor ratio, and immersion time demonstrated a significant influence on the adsorption of ADBAC. The higher the content of cellulose in the material, the higher is the adsorption of ADBAC active ingredient.

Chemical, Thermo-Mechanical and Antimicrobial Properties of DBD Plasma Treated Disinfectant-Impregnated Wipes during Storage.

Disinfectant-impregnated wipes are broadly used in hospitals, as an important approach for infection prevention and control. But their ageing performance has rarely been studied. Untreated and Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma pre-treated wiping materials made of nonwoven 100% polyester (W1), nonwoven 55% cellulose/45% polyester (W2) and woven cotton (W3) were impregnated with a quaternary ammonium compound solution (ADBAC) for 30 min, 3, 7, 15, and 30 days of storage time and characterized in term of chemical, thermo-mechanical and antimicrobial efficacy.

Efficacy of disinfectant-impregnated wipes used for surface disinfection in hospitals: a review.

Background: "Ready-to-use" disinfecting wipes (also known as pre-impregnated disinfecting wipe) are broadly used in food industry and domestic situations. Their application in hospitals and healthcare centres for decontamination of medical devices and surfaces is steadily increasing because of their convenient implementation in practice and reliable performance. Beside their acceptable compliance and easy application, literature reported the disinfection failure due to the interaction between textile substrate and active ingredients, which can highly increase the risk of an infection outbreak.

Interlaboratory reproducibility of a test method following 4-field test methodology to evaluate the susceptibility of Clostridium difficile spores.

Background: Sporicidal surface disinfection is recommended to control transmission of Clostridium difficile in healthcare facilities. EN 17126 provides a method to determine the sporicidal activity in suspension and has been approved as a European standard. In addition, a sporicidal surface test has been proposed.

Modified silica sol coatings for surface enhancement of leather.

The presented study reports on differently modified silica sols for coating applications on leather. Silica sols are prepared by acidic hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane and modified by silane compounds with fluorinated and non-fluorinated alkylgroups. In contrast to many earlier investigations regarding sol-gel applications on leather, no acrylic resin is used together with the silica sols when applying on leather.

Identification of a novel A-kinase anchoring protein 18 isoform and evidence for its role in the vasopressin-induced aquaporin-2 shuttle in renal principal cells.

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) increases the water permeability of renal collecting duct principal cells by inducing the fusion of vesicles containing the water channel aquaporin-2 (AQP2) with the plasma membrane (AQP2 shuttle). This event is initiated by activation of vasopressin V2 receptors, followed by an elevation of cAMP and the activation of protein kinase A (PKA). The tethering of PKA to subcellular compartments by protein kinase A anchoring proteins (AKAPs) is a prerequisite for the AQP2 shuttle.

Merlin links to the cAMP neuronal signaling pathway by anchoring the RIbeta subunit of protein kinase A.

The cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway, important in neuronal signaling, is regulated by molecules that bind and target PKA regulatory subunits. Of four regulatory subunits, RIbeta is most abundantly expressed in brain. The RIbeta knockout mouse has defects in hippocampal synaptic plasticity, suggesting a role for RIbeta in learning and memory-related functions.

The neuA/flmD gene cluster of Helicobacter pylori is involved in flagellar biosynthesis and flagellin glycosylation.

Helicobacter pylori possesses a gene (HP0326/JHP309) homologous to neuA of other bacteria, encoding a cytidyl monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase-homologous enzyme in its N-terminal portion. We analysed the function of this gene, which is controlled by a flagellar class 2 sigma(54) promoter, in flagellar biosynthesis. HP0326/JHP309 actually represents a bicistronic operon consisting of a neuA and a flmD-like putative glycosyl transferase gene.

Regulation of anchoring of the RIIalpha regulatory subunit of PKA to AKAP95 by threonine phosphorylation of RIIalpha: implications for chromosome dynamics at mitosis.

CDK1 phosphorylates the A-kinase regulatory subunit RIIalpha on threonine 54 (T54) at mitosis, an event proposed to alter the subcellular localization of RIIalpha. Using an RIIalpha-deficient leukemic cell line (Reh) and stably transfected Reh cell clones expressing wild-type RIIalpha or an RIIalpha(T54E) mutant, we show that RIIalpha associates with chromatin-bound A-kinase anchoring protein AKAP95 at mitosis and that this interaction involves phosphorylation of RIIalpha on T54. During interphase, both RIIalpha and RIIalpha(T54E) exhibit a centrosome-Golgi localization, whereas AKAP95 is intranuclear.

CDK1-mediated phosphorylation of the RIIalpha regulatory subunit of PKA works as a molecular switch that promotes dissociation of RIIalpha from centrosomes at mitosis.

Protein kinase A regulatory subunit RIIalpha is tightly bound to centrosomal structures during interphase through interaction with the A-kinase anchoring protein AKAP450, but dissociates and redistributes from centrosomes at mitosis. The cyclin B-p34(cdc2) kinase (CDK1) has been shown to phosphorylate RIIalpha on T54 and this has been proposed to alter the subcellular localization of RIIalpha. We have made stable transfectants from an RIIalpha-deficient leukemia cell line (Reh) that expresses either wild-type or mutant RIIalpha (RIIalpha(T54E)).

Analysis of A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP) interaction with protein kinase A (PKA) regulatory subunits: PKA isoform specificity in AKAP binding.

Compartmentalization of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is in part mediated by specialized protein motifs in the dimerization domain of the regulatory (R)-subunits of PKA that participate in protein-protein interactions with an amphipathic helix region in A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). In order to develop a molecular understanding of the subcellular distribution and specific functions of PKA isozymes mediated by association with AKAPs, it is of importance to determine the apparent binding constants of the R-subunit-AKAP interactions. Here, we present a novel approach using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to examine directly the association and dissociation of AKAPs with all four R-subunit isoforms immobilized on a modified cAMP surface with a high level of accuracy.