1,663 research outputs found
Antimicrobial effects of chlorhexidine, matrica drop mouthwash (chamomile extract), and normal saline on hospitalized patients with endotracheal tubes
Background: The functions and use of mouthwashes are variable depending on their type. Oral care in patients with endotracheal tubes is important to prevent side effects such as pneumonia. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial effects of chlorhexidine, drop of Matrica mouthwash (chamomile extract), and normal saline on hospitalized patients with endotracheal tube in an intensive care unit (ICU). Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 39 patients admitted to the ICU were selected by convenience sampling, were matched based on age and sex, and randomly assigned to three groups (chlorhexidine, Matrica, saline). Mouth washing was performed every 8 to 48 hours. The samples were taken at time zero (before the intervention) and 48 hours after the intervention for bacterial culture. Antibacterial activity of each mouthwash on microorganisms was measured based on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Pneumococcal, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, and Escherichia coli. The obtained data were then analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Package version 18. Results: Chlorhexidine mouthwash was more effective in preventing colonization of bacteria in the mouth (point probability = 0.06) in comparison with chamomile and saline mouthwashes. Nevertheless, none of the tested mouthwashes were able to remove pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, and Acinetobacter. Conclusions: 0.2% chlorhexidine mouthwash has a significant effect on the bacterial colonization rate in comparison with Matrica and normal saline mouthwashes in ICU hospitalized patients with endotracheal tube
Seroprevalence of toxocariasis in children aged 1-9 years in western Islamic Republic of Iran, 2003
We determined the seroprevalence of Toxocara canis infection in 544 children under 10 years randomly selected from urban and rural areas of Hamadan, An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for detection of antibodies to T. canis excretion - secretion antigens. Using a questionnaire, epidemiological factors associated with infection were examined, including age, sex, residence. Antibodies to T. canis were detected in 29 children (5.3%) and 19 children (3.5%) were categorized as borderline positive; thus together this gave a prevalence of toxocariasis of 8.8%. No significant differences were found in terms of sex, age and residence
Non-Abelian off-diagonal geometric phases in nano-engineered four-qubit systems
The concept of off-diagonal geometric phase (GP) has been introduced in order
to recover interference information about the geometry of quantal evolution
where the standard GPs are not well-defined. In this Letter, we propose a
physical setting for realizing non-Abelian off-diagonal GPs. The proposed
non-Abelian off-diagonal GPs can be implemented in a cyclic chain of four
qubits with controllable nearest-neighbor interactions. Our proposal seems to
be within reach in various nano-engineered systems and therefore opens up for
first experimental test of the non-Abelian off-diagonal GP.Comment: Some changes, journal reference adde
Non-Abelian quantum holonomy of hydrogen-like atoms
We study the Uhlmann holonomy [Rep. Math. Phys. 24, 229 (1986)] of quantum
states for hydrogen-like atoms where the intrinsic spin and orbital angular
momentum are coupled by the spin-orbit interaction and subject to a slowly
varying magnetic field. We show that the holonomy for the orbital angular
momentum and spin subsystems is non-Abelian, while the holonomy of the whole
system is Abelian. Quantum entanglement in the states of the whole system is
crucially related to the non-Abelian gauge structure of the subsystems. We
analyze the phase of the Wilson loop variable associated with the Uhlmann
holonomy, and find a relation between the phase of the whole system with
corresponding marginal phases. Based on the result for the model system we
provide evidence that the phase of the Wilson loop variable and the mixed-state
geometric phase [E. Sj\"oqvist {\it et al.} Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2845 (2000)]
are in general inequivalent.Comment: Shortened version; journal reference adde
Adolescent Sexual Victimization: The Role of Social Support and Risky Lifestyle
Although about half of all rape victims are adolescents, the bulk of the research on sexual victimization is focused on college or community samples of adult women. As such, little is known about adolescent risk of sexual victimization. Adolescence is an important developmental phase in life, in which an individual undergoes major social and biological changes. These changes may make them more susceptible to environmental characteristics, such as family climate, compared to adults. Environmental factors may influence risk taking among adolescents, which may increase the risk of sexual victimization. The theory of social support can be useful in understanding why some young individuals are sexually victimized and others are not. Data for the analysis is derived from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). The current study uses the in-home interviews from Wave I, Wave II, and Wave IV of Add Health. The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between social support, risky behavior, and sexual victimization. Specifically, whether risky behavior mediates the relationship between adolescent sexual victimization and social support will be examined
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