To meet the requirements of risk assessment legislature regarding the ecotoxicity of ionizing compounds, the present study attempts to establish easy, robust methods for testing ecotoxicity at various pH levels. An overview is given of the buffering methods in the literature. This is supplemented by a series of experiments where ...

BACKGROUND: Oesophageal balloon distention test (EBDT) has been advocated for the evaluation of functional oesophageal noncardiac chest pain (NCCP), but its diagnostic utility remains unclear. AIM: To prospectively assess the diagnostic yield of EBDT in clinical practice and compare its yield with standard oesophageal tests. METHODS: Over a period of ...

Background and Aims:  Biopsy specimens are taken during transnasal esophagogastroduodenoscopy with 1.8 mm forceps. The aims of this study were to compare the concordance of the Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test and histological diagnoses between biopsies taken with 1.8 mm and 2.2 mm forceps and to determine whether the concordance of ...

The purpose of this study was to test the correlation of the amount of Atopobium vaginae with the most commonly used markers for bacterial vaginosis (BV). We enrolled 103 nonpregnant and premenopausal women that were positive for BV by Amsel criteria and with a Nugent score higher than 3. All ...

OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS: Pepsin lateral flow device (LFD) is a rapid noninvasive test to detect salivary pepsin as a surrogate marker for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We aimed to establish the test sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) in patients with symptomatic and objective evidence of GERD compared to ...

BACKGROUND: Both simple proportions and statistical tests are utilised for symptom-reflux association. We systematically compared three such tests in a clinical setting. AIM: To compare the three commonly used symptom reflux association tests in a large cohort of patients undergoing ambulatory pH monitoring for the evaluation of oesophageal symptoms. METHODS: ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In Morocco, cutaneous leishmaniasis is transmitted by Phlebotomus sergenti and Ph. papatasi. Vector control is mainly based on environmental management but indoor residual spraying with synthetic pyrethroids is applied in many foci of Leishmania tropica. However, the levels and distribution of sandfly susceptibility to insecticides currently used has ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to find a suitable method of labelling cartilage samples for the measurement of distraction distances in biomechanical testing. METHODS: Samples of bovine cartilage were labelled using five different methods: hydroquinone and silver nitrate (AgNO(3)), potassium permanganate (KMnO(4)) with sodium thiosulphate (Na(2)S(2)O(3)), India ink, ...

Background: Carotid artery atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for stroke and subsequent cognitive impairment. Prospective population studies have shown associations between carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and stenosis and cognitive decline and dementia in elderly stroke-free persons, whereas results in the middle-aged are conflicting. Methods: In this prospective population-based study, ...

Resurfacing of the humeral head has gained interest as an alternative to traditional hemiarthroplasty because it preserves bone stock and respects the native geometry of the glenohumeral articulation. The purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanics of the intact glenohumeral joint with those following humeral head resurfacing and ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there exists any discrepancy between the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and adopted United States Pharmacopeia (USP) tests concerning the weight uniformity measurements of tablet halves after splitting. The USP method does not contain provisions to evaluate split tablets, so here we ...

We assessed the acceptance of self-testing for vaginal pH in 344 Ugandan women in different clinical settings. Women tested themselves by insertion of a gloved finger into the vagina to test vaginal pH and provide a smear on a glass slide. None of the tested women found the test very ...

To evaluate and compare the pH and antibacterial property of Ca(OH)(2) combined with iodine potassium iodide (IKI) or chlorhexidine (CHX) on E. faecalis and to assess and compare their effect on fracture resistance of root dentin. CHX (0.5%) The following test materials were used: Group I Calcium hydroxide + saline, ...

PURPOSE: The authors have developed a quantitative method to evaluate rotatory laxity of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knee using an open MRI. In this study, we evaluated the correlation between the pivot-shift test grading and values measured with this method. Furthermore, the articular contact area in the lateral compartment ...

PURPOSE: Recent attention has been drawn to tibial plateau slope and depth with relation to both risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and kinematics in the cruciate-deficient knee. The purpose was to evaluate the relationship between native proximal tibial anatomy and knee kinematics in the anterior cruciate-deficient knee. METHODS: ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate knee joint position sense (JPS) in athletes with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and compare it with healthy participants under non-weight bearing (sitting) and weight bearing (standing) conditions. METHODS: Twenty patients and 20 healthy athletes participated in this study. JPS was evaluated ...

We aimed to describe the imaging findings of multidetector CT coronary angiography (MDCTA) in cases of vasospastic angina (VA) and to determine the accuracy of MDCTA in the identification of VA as compared with invasive coronary angiography with an ergonovine provocation test (CAG with an EG test). Fifty-three patients with ...

In this article, we discuss current topics for rotatory knee laxity. All tests for knee laxity have a value. Static knee laxity tests reveal information for each individual patient's laxity status, especially compared to the contralateral side. Static knee laxity tests are simple to do, and some of them are ...

PURPOSE: To establish fetal nasal bone length cut-off points for first trimester aneuploidy screening based on a normal curve of a Brazilian population. METHODS: The following tests were proposed: presence or absence of the nasal bone (NB); 2.5 and 5.0 NB percentiles relative to the normal curve; and 0.70, 0.75 ...

The purposes of this study was twofold: (a) to examine the test-retest reproducibility and concurrent validity of the horizontal hip joint angle test (H-HJA) and vertical hip joint angle test (V-HJA) for estimating hamstring flexibility measured with an inclinometer during the passive straight leg raise test (PSLR); and (b) to ...

Abstract Objectives: The study objectives were to evaluate the effects of adding whole-body vibration to squat training on functional performance and self-report of disease in elderly individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Design: This was a prospective, randomized trial in which selected variables were evaluated at three periods: 3 weeks prior ...

BACKGROUND: Muscle strength test outcomes may aid in determination of impairment or disability rating following injury. In such settings, verification of participant effort during testing is imperative. This investigation explored the utilization of within-set moment waveform similarity measures, namely cross correlation and percent root mean square difference scores, to develop ...

BACKGROUND: The diaphysis bending test is generally accepted to assess the biomechanical properties of bone in osteoporotic animals. However, bone strength loss was more pronounced at the metaphysis than diaphysis. Therefore, the biomechanical test should be focused on the metaphysis. This study aimed to validate a novel biomechanical test for ...

Abstract Objective. To establish a high-throughput system for testing the ability of drugs or monoclonal antibodies to reduce the in vitro formation of cystatin C dimers to identify substances potentially useful for treatment of patients with hereditary cystatin C amyloid angiopathy (HCCAA). Methods. Various combinations of incubation temperature, time period, ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the forces occurring in human anterior meniscotibial attachment structures under various loading conditions. METHODS: Twelve human knee joints were exposed to eight loading conditions (tibial rotations and varus/valgus stress) using a previously described knee joint simulator. Subsequently, the joints were axially ...

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury may cause knee instability and may result in damage to the menisci and the articular cartilage. The pivot shift test is commonly used to identify rotational instability of the knee following injury to the ACL. The magnitude of lateral compartment translation correlates well with the ...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of motor learning on knee extension-flexion isokinetic performance during clinical isokinetic evaluation of postmenopausal women. METHODS: One-hundred and twenty postmenopausal women (60.3±3.2 years; BMI=27.6±4.7kg/m(2)) without knee pain or injury and that never underwent isokinetic testing, were submitted to two bilateral knee extension-flexion (concentric-concentric) isokinetic evaluation ...

Experiments were performed to test the null hypothesis that the addition of a natural occurring antibiotic would not alter mechanical properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Compression and four-point bending tests were used to assess mechanical properties of zirconium dioxide bearing bone cement (Type Zr) and barium sulfate bearing bone cement (Type ...

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the major reasons for seeking medical and physical therapy services, because it usually causes difficulties in performing daily life activities. There are several types of treatment, with varied results. The use of knee sleeve as an adjuvant resource has been controversial in the literature. ...

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:782-796 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine ABSTRACT: Background:  Acutely swollen or painful joints are common complaints in the emergency department (ED). Septic arthritis in adults is a challenging diagnosis, but prompt differentiation of a bacterial etiology is crucial to minimize morbidity and ...

Articular cartilage is a multicomponent, poroviscoelastic tissue with nonlinear mechanical properties vital to its function. A consequent goal of repair or replacement of injured cartilage is to achieve mechanical properties in the repair tissue similar to healthy native cartilage. Since fresh healthy human articular cartilage (HC) is not readily available, ...

Although the contribution of the circumferential collagen bundles to the anisotropic tensile stiffness of meniscal tissue has been well described, the implications of interactions between tissue components for other mechanical properties have not been as widely examined. This study compared the effects of the proteoglycan-associated osmotic swelling stress on meniscal ...

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) total tau-protein (t-tau) and amyloid-beta 1-42 (Abeta(1-42)) have been increasingly included in the diagnostic process of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We aimed to analyze whether these CSF biomarkers correlate with cognitive plasticity as measured by a dynamic recognition test strategy. We assessed 29 elderly individuals (15 with incipient ...

The spider Holocnemus pluchei (Scopoli) (Araneae: Pholcidae) is a nonnative species commonly found in the southwestern United States. In urban areas around homes and other structures, it is often the dominant spider species on outside surfaces; requests for control of spiders and their cobwebs are common for the commercial pest ...

Knee proprioception is compromised in knee osteoarthritis. There are several ways of measuring proprioceptive acuity, but there is lack of consensus over the ideal testing position. The study aimed to evaluate the influence of 2 testing positions (sitting versus prone lying) on proprioceptive knee assessment score in patients with early ...

Efficient monitoring of surfaces for spores of filamentous fungi is essential for detecting minor contamination even when air samples test negative for fungi. This study evaluates and compares a pad prepared using a dusting cloth with Rodac contact plates and humidified swabs for detecting mycological contamination, and concludes that the ...

Introduction: Scaffolds for bone tissue engineering seeded with the patient's own cells might be used as a preferable method to repair bone defects in the future. With the emerging new technologies of nanostructure design, new synthetic biomaterials are appearing on the market. Such scaffolds must be tested in vitro for ...

Bacterial contamination of spirometers has been documented in water-sealed devices, mouthpieces, and connection tubes. Little information is available about bacterial contamination of flow-based apparatuses such as turbine-type spirometers and pneumotachographs. Inspiration through contaminated equipment is a potential source of cross infection. To investigate bacteria mobilization (ie, bacteria detachment and aerosolization ...

The new criteria for classification of Rheumatoid Arthritis have been recently released. They incorporate the anti-Citrullinated Protein antibody testing and the other classic criteria in a score system (the diagnosis of definite rheumatoid arthritis is made by a total score ≥6). These criteria try to meet the pressing needs to ...

The progression of sensory blockade in the hand following a forearm Bier block with ropivacaine is currently unknown. The hands of 10 healthy adult human subjects were anesthetized with ropivacaine, and their sensitivities to cold and touch were tested until the completion of anesthesia. On average, insensitivity to cold occurred ...

Isokinetic dynamometry is a widely used tool for measuring muscle strength in clinical intervention and rehabilitation as well as research in children. To assess the test-retest reliability of knee flexor/extensor strength using the Biodex Multi-Joint System 4 Isokinetic Dynamometer in children. Peak isometric knee extensor (KE) and peak isokinetic knee ...

The objective of this study was to ascertain the effects of a mouthwash prepared with Triphala on dental plaque, gingival inflammation, and microbial growth and compare it with commercially available Chlorhexidine mouthwash. This study was conducted after ethics committee approval and written consent from guardians (and assent from the children) ...

ABSTRACT: The clinical evaluation of the knee is a fundamental tool to correctly address diagnosis and treatment, and should never be replaced by the findings retrieved by the imaging studies carried on the patient.Every surgeon has his own series of exams with whom he is more confident and on whom ...

What is the diagnostic value of provocative wrist tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for suspected wrist ligament injuries? Cross-sectional study. 105 people presenting to hand clinics with wrist pain and suspected wrist ligament injuries were evaluated prospectively. The integrity of wrist ligaments was tested with seven provocative tests. The ...

Evidence has recently emerged indicating that in addition to large airborne droplets, fine aerosol particles can be an important mode of influenza transmission that may have been hitherto underestimated. Furthermore, recent performance studies evaluating airborne infection isolation (AII) rooms designed to house infectious patients have revealed major discrepancies between what ...

A recent murder enquiry prompted experimentation to confirm and visually demonstrate that lit cigarettes are not a viable source of ignition of petrol vapour. In addition, tests comprising the attempted ignition of petrol vapour using hot and smouldering cannabis resin were also undertaken. A series of experiments was also designed ...

The emergence of Clostridium difficile as a major nosocomial pathogen points to the need for safe, effective, and fast-acting environmental sporicides for infection prevention and control. Available and fast-acting sporicides are generally corrosive and unsafe for both humans and the environment. We evaluated chlorine bleach (500 and 5000 ppm) and ...

Contamination of fresh produce with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other pathogens commonly causes food-borne illness and disease outbreaks. Thus, screening for pathogens is warranted, but improved testing procedures are needed to allow reproducible same-day detection of low initial contamination levels on perishable foods, and methods for detecting numerous pathogens in ...

Clostridium difficile has been recognised for some time as a pathogen which can contaminate the environment and which is associated with secondary spread via this route. Unfortunately many of the disinfectants currently used in healthcare environments are inactive against this organism. For example, alcohol-containing hand rubs do not have sporicidal ...

Ecotoxicological assessment relies to a large extent on the information gathered with surrogate species and the extrapolation of test results across species and different levels of biological organisation. Bacteria have long been used as a bioreporter for genotoxic testing and general toxicity. Today, it is clear that bacteria have the ...