F1-antigen purified from Yersinia pestis was covalently linked to 5-mm diameter filter paper discs plasticized with polyvinyl alcohol-glutaraldehyde. These discs were used both for ELISA and dot-ELISA for the detection of anti-F1 IgG in rabbits. The best conditions were achieved using 1.25 microg of F1 antigen/disc, 3% w/v skim milk in PBS as blocking agent, anti-IgG peroxidase conjugate dilute...

Articular cartilage lesions are a particular challenge for regenerative medicine due to cartilage low self-ability repair in case of damage. Hence, a significant goal of musculoskeletal tissue engineering is the development of suitable structures in virtue of their matrix composition and biomechanical properties. The objective of our study was to design in vitro a supporting structure for autol...

Nasotracheal intubation is the preferred route of airway management for oral and maxillofacial surgeries.[1] Nasal pressure ulcers are a frequently overlooked complication of this technique, especially in cases where intubation is required for a prolonged period. The necrosis can lead to cosmetic and functional disability that may require prolonged medical care and even surgical correction. It ...

Carbon dots show potential in lighting and displays. However, only their fluorescence has been observed so far. Here we report the observation of phosphorescence from carbon dots in a polyvinyl alcohol matrix. The phosphorescence is attributed to C=O bonds on the surface of carbon dots and has a very long lifetime (~380 ms).

Fractal curves were generated on square initiators and rated in terms of complexity by eight viewers. The stimuli differed in fractional dimension, recursion, and number of segments in their generators. Across six stimulus sets, recursion accounted for most of the variance in complexity judgments, but among stimuli with the most recursive depth, fractal dimension was a respectable predictor. Si...

Polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate (PVA/SA) hydrogel was successfully prepared by freeze thaw process. Without crosslinking agent, formed using 3, 5 and 7 consecutive cycles of thaw. Hydrogel can be hydrogen bonding formation between OH-group sodium polyvinyl alcohol throughout network. Scanning electron microscope reported that microstructure well packed. The interconnect porosity also observed...

The viability of populations is influenced by driving forces such as density dependence and climate variability, but most population viability analyses (PVAs) ignore these factors because of data limitations. Additionally, simplified PVAs produce limited measures of population viability such as annual population growth rate (lamda) or extinction risk. Here we developed a "mechanistic" PVA of th...

A study was designed to compare the effectiveness and time efficiency of three collection-preservation methods individually and grouped to form systems. Employees and members of their families of an agricultural grower in Hillsborough County, Fla., provided all fecal specimens used in the study. The 160 individuals participating were members of 64 families and represented a cross section of all...