Role of Secreted Conjunctival Mucosal Cytokine and Chemokine Proteins in Different Stages of Trachomatous Disease

Trachoma, a disease of antiquity dating back to the 16th century B.C.E., predominates among developing countries, where it remains the primary cause of preventable blindness worldwide. In trachoma, recurrent Chlamydia trachomatis bacterial infections during childhood are thought to result in inflammation and subsequent conjunctival scarring that can progress to trichiasis (TT; chronic trachoma; inversion of ≥1 eyelash that touches the globe of the eye). The trachomatous follicular grade (TF; active disease) is a self-limiting disease, suggesting the coexistence of protective inflammatory proteins. The trachomatous inflammatory grade (TI; active disease) is more likely to progress to trachomatous scarring (TS; chronic trachoma). To date, there are only a handful of studies that have examined the immune response in trachoma, and these were primarily based on gene expression. Characterizing quantified conjunctival mucosal immune differences for secreted proteins among individuals with no, active, and chronic trachoma may identify protein biomarkers associated with protection versus disease, which would greatly aid our understanding of the immunopathogenesis of trachoma. In this study, we characterized 25 cytokine and chemokine proteins for all trachoma grades. We identified eight cytokines and chemokines as risk factors for chronic trachoma and four as protective. Together, these findings further characterize the immunopathologic responses involved during trachoma, which will likely aid in the design of a vaccine and immunomodulating therapeutics for trachoma

In vitro effect of cavity disinfectants on the bond strength of dentin bonding systems

Objective: To evaluate the effect of two cavity disinfectants, a 2% chlorhexidine and a 1% benzalkonium chloride solution, on the shear and tensile bond strengths of dentin bonding systems to dentin. Method and materials: Superficial dentin was exposed from 84 freshly extracted human third molars. The teeth were randomly assigned to two main groups according to the bonding agent used, either One Step or Optibond Solo. Each dentin bonding system had six test groups (three for shear, three for tensile testing), and each test group had a control and two cavity disinfectant groups. In the control groups, dentin bonding systems were applied after etching the dentin, whereas in the cavity disinfectant groups, dentin was conditioned and treated for 20 seconds with the disinfectants before applying the dentin bonding systems. A hybrid resin composite then was applied to all treated samples. After storage in distilled water at 37degreesC for 24 hours, shear and tensile tests were performed. Data were analyzed using Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: The mean shear and tensile bond strengths of One Step and Optibond Solo were not significantly different from each other, and the cavity disinfectants also had no significant effects on shear and tensile bond strength values versus the controls. Conclusion: The results indicate that the use of 2% chlorhexidine and 1% benzalkonium chloride solutions as cavity disinfectants after etching the dentin did not affect the shear and tensile bond strengths of One Step and Optibond Solo

Payment method and perceptions of ownership

How consumers pay influences how they feel about a transaction. In particular, paying by card has been argued to have an effect on the perception of cost; making it less salient and painful. We propose and show that payment method also influences how consumers feel about the acquired good. Specifically we focus on effects of the payment method on psychological ownership, i.e. the perception of an object as "mine". We propose that cash payment results in stronger psychological ownership because it influences the extent of perceived investment in an object. We provide evidence for the proposed effect from field and laboratory settings. Results of a longitudinal exit-survey and an experiment show that cash payers report higher levels of immediate psychological ownership than card payers. However, this effect seems to depend on the meanings associated with a payment method. Asian students (who associate credit card payment with investment and debt) do not exhibit this effect. Moreover the initial boost in psychological ownership seems to be comparably shortlived. Whilst those paying in cash experience no further increase in psychological ownership over time, those paying by card do. (author's abstract

Alkyl Polyglucosides: An emerging class of sugar surfactants

Natural origin, dermal tolerability and biodegradability are the fundamental criteria for novel surfactants. Sugar-based surfactants represent a growing market. Among these, Alkyl Polyglucosides (APGs), produced from vegetable oils and starch, are in demand. They are claimed to possess advantages over other classes of surfactants in terms of dermatological and ocular safety, biodegradability, wettability, foam production, and cleaning ability. Studies show that there is no environmental risk even where APGs are used in large quantities. Some APGs have been granted the status of pharmaceutical excipients. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to persuade some formulators to replace low-cost conventional surfactants with these alternatives. This volume aims to provide a concise compendium of current knowledge on APGs

Surfactants Based on Renewable Raw Materials.

Under the European Commission's European Climate Change Programme, a group of experts studied the possibilities of using more renewable raw materials as chemical feedstock and assessed the related potential for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. Surfactants were among the products studied. Surfactants are currently produced from both petrochemical feedstocks and renewable resources (oleochemical surfactants). Assuming, in a first step, that total surfactant production in the European Union remains constant until 2010, it was estimated that the amount of oleochemical surfactants could be increased from about 880 kilotons (kt) in 1998 to approximately 1,100 kt in 2010 (an increase of 24%). This substitution reduces the life-cycle CO2 emissions from surfactants by 8%; the theoretical maximum potential for total substitution is 37%. Because the surfactant market is expected to grow, the avoided emissions will probably exceed 8% of the current life-cycle CO2 emissions from surfactants. If compared to the CO2 emissions from the total industrial sector and, even more so, if compared to the total economy, the relative savings are much lower (0.02% to 0.09%). This leads to the conclusion that the increased production and use of biobased surfactants should be part of an overall GHG emission reduction strategy consisting of a whole range of measures addressing both energy demand and supply. This article also discusses policies and measures designed to increase the use of biobased surfactants