Development of novel antibacterial active, HaCaT biocompatible and biodegradable CA-g-P(3HB)-EC biocomposites with caffeic acid as a functional entity

We have developed novel composites by grafting caffeic acid (CA) onto the P(3HB)-EC based material and laccase from Trametes versicolor was used for grafting purposes. The resulting composites were designated as CA-g-P(3HB)-EC i.e., P(3HB)-EC (control), 5CA-g-P(3HB)-EC, 10CA-g-P(3HB)-EC, 15CA-g-P(3HB)-EC and 20CA-g-P(3HB)-EC. An FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) was used to examine the functional and elemental groups of the control and laccase-assisted graft composites. Evidently, 15CA-g-P(3HB)-EC composite exhibited resilient antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, respectively. Moreover, a significant level of biocompatibility and biodegradability of the CA-g-P(3HB)-EC composites was also achieved with the human keratinocytes-like HaCaT cells and soil burial evaluation, respectively. In conclusion, the newly developed novel composites with multi characteristics could well represent the new wave of biomaterials for medical applications, and more specifically have promising future in the infection free would dressings, burn and/or skin regeneration field due to their sophisticated characteristics.

A comprehensive simulation study of slotted CSMA/CA for IEEE 802.15.4 wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we analyze the performance limits of the slotted CSMA/CA mechanism of IEEE 802.15.4 in the beacon-enabled mode for broadcast transmissions in WSNs. The motivation for evaluating the beacon-enabled mode is due to its flexibility for WSN applications as compared to the non-beacon enabled mode. Our analysis is based on an accurate simulation model of the slotted CSMA/CA mechanism on top of a realistic physical layer, with respect to the IEEE 802.15.4 standard specification. The performance of the slotted CSMA/CA is evaluated and analyzed for different network settings to understand the impact of the protocol attributes (superframe order, beacon order and backoff exponent) on the network performance, namely in terms of throughput (S), average delay (D) and probability of success (Ps). We introduce the concept of utility (U) as a combination of two or more metrics, to determine the best offered load range for an optimal behavior of the network. We show that the optimal network performance using slotted CSMA/CA occurs in the range of 35% to 60% with respect to an utility function proportional to the network throughput (S) divided by the average delay (D).

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in Portugal:

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a human pathogen confined to hospitals (HAMRSA) for over 30 years have been emerging worldwide in the last two decades as a leading cause of severe infections in healthy individuals in the community (CA-MRSA). Despite its clinical significance, in the beginning of our studies no information existed on the prevalence, and population structure of CA-MRSA in Portugal. Moreover, it remained to be clarified how CA-MRSA emerged in our country. In particular, it was not known if CA-MRSA emerged locally by acquisition of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) by established methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) in the community, if they were imported from abroad or have escaped from the hospital.(...)

Improving TCP Performance on CSMA/CA Connections

In IP networks, most of packets, that have been dropped, are recovered after the expiration of retransmission timeouts. These can result in unnecessary retransmissions and needless reduction of congestion window. An inappropriate retransmission timeout has a huge impact on TCP performance. In this paper we have proved that CSMA/CA mechanism can cause TCP retransmissions due to CSMA/CA effects. For this we have observed three wireless connections that use CSMA/CA: with good link quality, poor link quality and in presence of cross traffic. The measurements have been performed using real devices. Through tracking of each transmitted packet it is possible to analyze the relation between one-way delay and packet loss probability and the cumulative distribution of distances between peaks of OWDs. The distribution of OWDs and the distances between peaks of OWDs are the most important parameters of tuning TCP retransmission timeout on CSMA/CA networks. A new perspective through investigating the dynamical relation between one-way delay and packet loss ratio depending on the link quality to enhance the TCP performance has been provided.

Recueil de pièces originales, copies et gravures, formé par GAIGNIÈRES sur les duels et les combats. II Extraits divers relatifs aux duels, 1454-1709.

(fol. 1). — Pièces originales sur parchemin et papier relatives aux duels entre le comte d'Armagnac et le comte de Foix ; lettres de Philippe le Bel, datées d'Orléans, 22 mai 1296 (fol. 32), — Jean de Lescave et les Anglais Willebeude et Jean Coupelaude ; lettres de Charles VI sous le vidimus de Hugues Aubriot, 1380 et 1382 (fol. 36, 37), — Jean Du Mesnil dit Le Gallois et Jean de Bourgeauville ; mandements des gens tenant l'Échiquier à Rouen, de Guillaume de Tancarville, et comptes pour la fabrication des lices, 1403. Dix-huit pièces (fol. 40-55), — MM. de Baucher et de Meneton, 1520 (fol. 62), — Gaucher de Dinteville, de Vanlay et Jean Du Plessis, 1538 (fol. 65-74), — François de Vivonne, sieur de La Chastaigneraye, et Chabot, sieur de Montlieu, 1547 (fol. 75), — Claude Daguerre, baron de Vienne, et Jacques Fontaines, sieur de Fendilles, 1548 (fol. 79) ; avec une lettre de Robert de La Marck, 1549 (fol. 82), — Jacques Des Essars, sieur de Lignières, et Paolo Baptista Spinola ; lettres de François de Lorraine, duc d'Aumale, 1549 (fol. 84-87), — le colonel de Rancé et le capitaine Bretel ; lettre de François de Luxembourg (fol. 88), — M. de La Cassaigne et de Cilliac ; lettre du maréchal de Brissac, 1557 (fol. 96), — MM. de Chabrignac et Du Cluzel, 1616 (fol. 111), — MM. de Lignoyre et de Casteaux, 1583 (fol. 113), — MM. de Cadaillan et de Savaillan (fol. 114), — MM. de Chambon et de Lignoyre (fol. 115, 122), — MM. Danjunies et La Pachevie (fol. 117), — MM. de Conros et Du Grifoulles (fol. 119), — MM. de Vaureilles et de Malecoste (fol. 120), — MM. de Sauvebeuf et de Queyssac (fol. 124), — MM. de Murat et de Chiensac, 1608 (fol. 125), — MM. de Tournemire et de Rageault, 1603 (fol. 127, 136), — MM. de Lanteuil et du Peschier, 1613 (fol. 129), — MM. de Saint-Geniez et de Chauveroche, 1613 (fol. 131), — MM. de La Barthe et de Bassignac, 1610 (fol. 133), — MM. de Sauvebeuf et Peyrot, 1596 (fol. 138), — MM. Jacques Renouart, sieur Du Pays de Brun, et de Chamonceaux (fol. 141) ; la plupart de ces duels terminés par l'arbitrage du duc de Noailles, — MM. de Montbrun et Villandry, 1643 (fol. 152). — Requêtes de M. Du Pont d'Antremaux (fol. 155) et du baron de Verfeuil de Gouvernet, 1686 (fol. 159) au duc de Noailles. — Plan de l'histoire des duels (fol. 161).

Recueil de pièces relatives à la Papauté et aux républiques de Venise, Gênes et Lucques ; conclaves du XVII° siècle, etc. (1513-1658, et 1303-1400).

Contient : Rome (1513-1658). — Pièces diverses, relatives aux affaires de Rome, 1513-1527 (f. 1) ; « Lettre du Roy au cardinal de Rambouillet, sur le sujet de la liberté du comte Gaiasse », 1571 ; « Commentarius caussarum belli a Paulo IIII, Pont. Max., in Italia suscepti anno 1556 », pièce anciennement paginée 509-528 ; Manifeste en faveur de Marc-Antoine Colonna, 1572 ; Minutes de lettres de Charles IX, à l'occasion de la maladie de Pie V, 1572 ; « Relatione dell'illustrissimo seignore Giovanni Dolfino, cavalliere e procuratore di Santo-Marco, ritornato d'ambasciatore à Roma l'anno 1598 » ; « Discours de l'Estat de l'Esglise et court de Rome », 1604, par J. Bosc ; Pièces relatives à divers conclaves ; Relations de la mort et éloges de Clément VIII (f. 173), — et du cardinal Baronius (f. 174) ; Pièces relatives à l'élection de Grégoire XV, 1621 ; « Relation des affaires de la cour de Rome..., faite par le sr de Brèves », 1623 ; Pièces relatives à l'élection d'Urbain VIII, 1623 ; Relation de la cour de Rome, 1624 ; Pièces relatives à l'élection d'Innocent X, 1644 ; « Mémoire, fait durant la maladie du pape Innocent X, des noms des cardinaux, de leurs aages et qualitez », 1655 ; Pièces relatives à l'élection d'Alexandre VII, 1655 ; « Relatione del clarissimo Mgr Bernardo Navagiero, che fu poi cardinale, ritornando da Roma ambasciatore à papa Paolo quarto, l'anno 1558 » ; « Il sussesso della morte di signori Carafi, con la declaratione et il modo che morirono » ; Mémoire sur la Cour pontificale au temps de Paul V, vers 1615 (f. 457) ; Venise (XVIe siècle-1627). — « Discours de l'évesque de Rodez [Georges d'Armagnac], ambassadeur pour le Roy à Venise... » (f. 291) ; « Mémoire pour... faire sçavoir les payemens ordonnez à la seigneurie de Venise et au duc de Florence, sur les prests par eux faicts au Roy », 1573 (f. 293), — et autres pièces concernant Venise et principalement les relations de Venise avec la France (f. 294) ; Pièces relatives aux différends entre les papes Clément VIII et Paul V et les Vénitiens, 1600-1607 ; « Relation de Venize, de l'année 1627 » ; Gênes (1575-1629). — « Relazione di Genova », 1575, mémoire très détaillé (f. 367) ; « Relatione della cità et dominio Genovese », 1580 ; Autre relation, adressée à Charles IX ; « Instruction baillée à Monsieur de Sabran, envoyé... vers le duc et la seigneurie de Gênes », 1629 (f. 440) ; Lucques . — « Mémoire de l'Estat de Lucques, depuis 1303 jusques en 1400... » (f. 446)

Charles Clarke Chapman, ca. 1942

Original mounted photograph, signed by the photographer [Hartsook], as well as by C. C. Chapman [Affectionately yours, Father], ca. 1942.

Charles Clarke Chapman, Los Angeles, California, ca. 1895

Studio portrait photograph of Charles Clarke Chapman, Los Angeles, California, ca. 1895

Original Chapman home ranch packing house, Santa Ysabel, California, ca. 1900

Original Chapman home ranch packing house, Santa Ysabel, California, ca. 1900. [copy print]

Frank M. Chapman, Jr. son of Frank M. and Wilhelmina Chapman, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1891.

Studio portrait of Frank M. Chapman, Jr. son of Frank M. and Wilhelmina Chapman, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1891.

Frank C. Chapman, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1890

Studio portrait of Frank C. Chapman, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1890.