BACKGROUND Dithiothreitol (DTT), which is used for sputum homogenization, may split S-S bonds of the bronchial mucins as well as other proteins and, thus, may have a detrimental effect on inflammatory mediators that are present in sputum. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of physical sputum homogenization, using ultrasonic and chemical (ie, DTT) means, on the concentrations of eosinophil cati...

The demand for high performance cast aluminum alloy components is often disturbed by increasing impurity elements, such as iron accumulated from recycled scraps. It is strongly required that coarse plate-like iron compound of β-Al5FeSi turns into harmless form without the need for applying refining additives or expensive virgin ingots. The microstructural modification of Al-7mass%Si alloy bille...

Title of Thesis: In Vivo Evaluation of Contemporary Endodontic Antimicrobial Procedures Peter Bellingham, Master of Science, 2011 Thesis Directed by: Dr. Ashraf F. Fouad, Professor and Chairman, Director of Postgraduate Endodontics, University of Maryland School of Dentistry Introduction: Clinical assessment of the efficacy of novel root canal disinfection protocols is an important focus in end...