Utility of Albicans ID plate for rapid identification of Candida albicans in clinical samples. Rapid identification of Candida albicans

A clinical study was carried out in an attempt to assess the efficacy of a newly designed electric toothbrush compared to a conventional manual toothbrush using the American Dental Association's protocol for evaluating toothbrushes. An Oral-B 35 manual toothbrush, which served as the control, was compared to the Plaq & White125 electric toothbrush. Examinations were performed by two calibrated examiners at baseline, day 15 and day 30. Examinations included the gingival index, plaque index and bleeding index. Mean indices were calculated and compared between the two brushes using the repeated measures multiple analysis of variance. No statistically significant differences between the mean indices on the three examination days were observed following the use of the manual or the electric toothbrushes. The results of this study demonstrate that the electric toothbrush was numerically more effective than the manual toothbrush in reducing supragingival plaque levels, either before or after brushing, at each examination date compared to baseline plaque values. However, this difference was not statistically significant. This and other findings concluded that the Plaq & White toothbrush is comparable to the control ADA-accepted toothbrush.     

Holistic nursing--definition and realization

Single-channel properties of a delayed rectifier voltage-gated K+ channel (I-type) were investigated in peripheral myelinated axons from Xenopus laevis. Channels activated between -60 and -40 mV with a potential of half-maximal activation, E50, at -47.5 mV. Averaged single-channel currents activated with a time delay at all membrane potentials tested. Time to half-maximal activation decreased from 80 to 1.6 msec between -60 and +40 mV. The channel inactivated monoexponentially with a time constant of 10.9 sec at -40 mV. The time constant of deactivation was 126 msec at -80 mV and 16.9 msec at -110 mV. In symmetrical 105 mM K+, the single-channel conductance (gamma) was 22 and 13 pS at negative and positive membrane potentials, respectively, at 13-15 degrees C. In Na+ -rich solution with 2.5 mM extracellular K+ gamma was 7 pS and the reversal potential was negative to -80 mV, indicating a high selectivity for K+ over Na+. gamma depended on extracellular K+ concentration (KD = 19.6 mM) and temperature (Q10 = 1.45). External tetraethylammonium (TEA) reduced the apparent single-channel amplitude at all potentials tested with a half-maximal inhibiting concentration (IC50) of 0.6 mM. Open probability of the channel, but not single-channel current amplitude was decreased by extracellular dendrotoxin (DTX, IC50 = 6.8 nM). mast cell degranulating peptide (MCDP, IC50 = 41.9 microM). In Ringer solution the membrane potential of macroscopic I-channel patches was about -65 mV and depolarized under TEA and DTX. It is concluded that besides their activation during action potentials, I-channels may also stabilize the resting membrane potential.     

Changing patterns of care of pregnant women: the independent midwife

Forty-eight pink teeth from eight male cadavers, all dying from unnatural causes were studied for the pink tooth phenomenon. Perfusion with whole and lysed blood, at different temperatures was carried out, followed by longitudinal sectioning for histological observation. Another 30 unblemished human teeth were used to reproduce the phenomenon in vitro to help clarify its pathogenesis.     

Discrimnation Of Equilibrium Moisture Equations For Soybean Usmg Nonlinearity Measures

The main goal of this work is to find the best way to represent the equilibrium conditions between soybean and air. The experimental study was based on the static method using saturated salt solutions in order to regulate the vapour pressure of the air surrounding the grains. We developed a discrimination study among some ensting equations used for grains. To discriminate these equations we explored some non-linearity measures. The obtained results showed that the Halsey modified equation was the best model in terms of nonsignifiance for bias and non-linearity measures. The distribution for the estimated parameters. using simulation procedures, also showed good normal behavior for the Halsey equation.     

The determination of polymer additive effects in a spherilene process HDPE matrix upon water carry-over in water quenched,cast film extrusion

A test method useful in determining the effects of polymer additives upon water carry-over (WCO) in water quenched, cast film extrusion is presented. Data from this test is obtained on film specimens based in a Spherilene process HDPE resin individually doped with 250 and 500 ppm of six various primary and secondary antioxidants and acid scavengers. Water contact angles and film surface tension data is also presented. The WCO test is reproducible and data may be applied to commercial production. Different additives that carry out the same function in the polymer may have greatly varying WCO properties; these differences are not detected by equilibrium goniometry.     

Modelling and Simulation of Batch and Continuous Fluidized Bed Dryers

The performance of batch and continuous fluidized solids dryers has been modeled, with allowance for diffusional moisture transport in the dense phase particles and for interstitial gas-to-particle mass transfer within the dense phase, as well as for interphase exchange resistance between gas bubbles and the dense phase. Two types of boundary conditions are employed. Variations of the bed temperature and product moisture content in the bed with time are predicted numerically under various batch drying conditions. Exit product moisture contents, bed temperatures and outlet air humidities are also predicted for continuous drying at various mean residence times. The model can be used for homogeneous as well as bubbling fluidized bed drying. It can be used for a wide range of materials, including cereal grains and granular synthetic polymeric materials.