Standard operating procedure in STD clinics commonly has been to test urethral specimens when evaluating males, whether they are heterosexual or men who have sex with men (MSM). Rectal or oropharyngeal specimens may be tested in MSM with symptoms, or in some clinics as screening tests if individuals report sexual practices that would indicate risk of infection at these sites. In a report in thi...

BACKGROUND Self-obtained penile-meatal swabs and urine specimens have been used for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) for outreach screening in men. OBJECTIVE To compare the sensitivity of self-collected male penile-meatal swabs and urine for the detection of CT, NG and TV. METHODS Matching penile-meatal swabs and urines were collected at ...

PURPOSE To analyse the diagnostic signs present in slices of human breast tumour specimens using synchrotron radiation phase-contrast imaging computed tomography (PCI-CT) for the first time and assess the feasibility of this technique for clinical applications. MATERIALS AND METHODS The ethics committee of our university and relevant clinical hospital approved this prospective study, and writ...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the volume of remaining filling material after passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and orange oil in mesial canals of mandibular molars, with and without isthmus. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty mesial roots of mandibular molars were divided according to the presence or absence of isthmus. Canals were prepared and fil...

This article presents the investigative work conducted on the fracture toughness and microstructure of Al6061-9% graphite particulate composites. The requisite specimens for the fracture toughness testing were compact tension ones prepared using stir casting technique. The Al6061-9% graphite particulate metal matrix composite has been heat treated in the underaged condition. It is observed from...

The nuclear industry demands analyses that make possible the long-term operation of power plants (i.e., beyond 40 years). In this sense, one main challenges to overcome is restricted amount material available extend surveillance programs. To mitigate issue, mini-CT specimens have been proposed for evaluation fracture properties reactor pressure vessel (RPV) materials, and particularly, correspo...

Background The current testing approach to diagnose Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection relies on nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs). These are highly sensitive, but do not distinguish between active and residual bacterial which may remain after resolution of infection, or via cross-contamination. Better methods assess the viability CT detected in clinical samples would be useful determi...