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Eradication of implant centered infection remains a clinical challenge as the biofilm formation protects the bacteria. Bactericidal surfaces represent an effective tool in the prevention of biofilm formation, although the bactericidal agent cannot be cytotoxic to assure a proper implant osseointegration. Boron is a trace element, beneficial to bone formation and bactericidal against several strains. In this research, a boron containing coating was obtained on a titanium surface by plasma electrolytic oxidation. Its bioactivity and bactericidal activity were evaluated and compared to a boron-free coating. Boron presence has not changed the morphology, roughness and crystalline structure of the coating. Adipose derived stem cells culture revealed the coating biocompatibility and its bactericidal activity was assessed against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . This study revealed for the first time the bactericidal activity of a biocompatible boron doped TiO 2 coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study is based on 30-year long simulations of the wind-wave field in the Mediterranean Sea carried out with the WAM model. Wave fields have been computed for the 2071–2100 period of the A2, B2 emission scenarios and for the 1961–1990 period of the present climate (REF). The wave model has been forced by the wind field computed by a regional climate model with 50 km resolution. The mean SWH (Significant Wave Height) field over large fraction of the Mediterranean sea is lower for the A2 scenario than for the present climate during winter, spring and autumn. During summer the A2 mean SWH field is also lower everywhere, except for two areas, those between Greece and Northern Africa and between Spain and Algeria, where it is significantly higher. All these changes are similar, though smaller and less significant, in the B2 scenario, except during winter in the north-western Mediterranean Sea, when the B2 mean SWH field is higher than in the REF simulation. Also extreme SWH values are smaller in future scenarios than in the present climate and such SWH change is larger for the A2 than for the B2 scenario. The only exception is the presence of higher SWH extremes in the central Mediterranean during summer for the A2 scenario. In general, changes of SWH, wind speed and atmospheric circulation are consistent, and results show milder marine storms in future scenarios than in the present climate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]