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Fifty men and women, aged twenty to sixty-one, with dry skin of the legs, were treated over a four week period, comparing the effects of "hard-milled" versus "dry-skin" (triethanolamine) soaps on the condition of the stratum corneum commonly known as dry skin. Subjective preferences of the subjects heavily favored the dry skin soap. Objective grading of skin changes showed a trend in favor of the dry skin soap.
Dermal examinations, including functional tests, were carried out in 628 housing factory workers. Patch tests with chromium, cobalt and nickel were performed. Allergy ranged within 3--16%, varying with the workstations of the test workers. In view of chemical stimuli of strong basic effects in the construction industry environment, studies aimed at evaluating an impact of acid soaps upon the pH regeneration time on the skin surface were undertaken. Unlike alkaline soaps, acid soaps decrease skin surface pH, the pH recovery time being much shorter on their use.
Soaps were prepared by direct neutralization of a homologous series of fatty acids with potassium hydroxide, the acids used being lauric, myristic palmitic and stearic acids. The antibacterial activity of these soaps were studied using Escherichia coli as the test organism. From the various phenomena examined it can be concluded that all the soaps used had a measure of antibacterial activity, the order of this activity being myristate, laurate, palmitate, and stearate. The antibacterial activity of both the palmitate and the stearate can only be described as marginal.
Activity of a liquid soap and of a 4% povidone iodine detergent solution on hand skin flora after application for one minute ("hygienic type" handwashing) was studied. Samples were taken using a "bag" washing method. Total aerobic flora was determined quantitatively. Transient flora (Gram negative bacilli and mannitol positive Staphylococci) was determined both quantitatively and qualitatively. 54 determinations were performed (29 with liquid soap and 25 with povidone iodine) on 17 volunteers of the staff of the hospital bacteriology laboratory. After application of liquid soap, total flora, i.e. 10(6) bacteria per hand, was not reduced and the number of mannitol positive Staphylococci was increased. With povidone iodine, the reduction in total flora was 0.2-0.3 log 10 and the number of mannitol positive Staphylococci was decreased. With both products, Gram negative bacilli were eliminated in 60% of cases and greatly reduced in the remainder.
A study of three standard small calibre projectiles fired from the ranges of 30 and 100 m against soft soap blocks was performed. The assault rifles used in the tests were the Finnish M 62, the Russian AKM 47 and the American M 16 A 1 with standard ammunition. Impact velocity was measured with photocells and exist velocity with foils. The respective kinetic energies and the rate of transferred energy were calculated. The soap block was cut into two pieces after the shot. The diameter of the cavity was measured at every 10 mm along the trajectory, the volume of cavitation was calculated and the blocks were weighed before and after the shot. The bullets were collected when technically possible. At the range of 30 m the 7.62 M 62 bullet was already very stable. The two other projectiles especially the 5.56 calibre were fasttumbling and their volume of cavitation in soap blocks was about 1.75 times more than that of the 7.62 M 62 projectile. At the range of 100 m the stability of the two 7.62 projectiles is almost equal, but the 7.62 AKM 47 projectile released much more of its impact energy to the target. Furthermore, the 5.56 calibre projectile is unstable and goes on showing early tumbling and total break-up behaviour. The ratio between the volumes of cavitation was 1:2:3 (M 62:AKM 47:M 16 A 1).
A survey was performed to determine the effectiveness of a clear triethanolamine soap in contact lens wearing optometry students. The soap appeared to leave little or no residue on fingers and as a result on lenses. The survey indicated that unscented clear triethanolamine soap is an excellent adjunct to the hand cleaning procedure of contact lens patients.
The microbial content of fourteen bars of soap in a household setting was studied. The number of bacteria isolated from heavily used soaps which were wet, all placed in one bathroom, were higher than from infrequently used soaps that were dry and were placed in another bathroom. The major bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus sp. and Enterobacteriaceae.
The chemoprophylactic action of the essential oil of the fruit of Pterodon pubescens Benth (Leguminosae), incorporated in different soap formulations, was studied in experimental schistosomiasis. The formulations were used locally on the tails of mice which were exposed to Schistosoma mansoni cercariae immediately, 24, 72 or 168 hours later by the method of tail immersion. Protection was evaluated 45 days after exposure when the mice were sacrificed and the worms collected by perfusion. The results showed levels of protection varying from 0.0 to 100% depending on the formulation used. A methodology that allowed the evaluation of soap protection of mice exposed to natural infection in snail infested streams on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte, MG, was also developed. Promising results were obtained in that protection of between 57.5 and 31.1% was observed in field trials when soap was applied to the animals 24 and 48 hours earlier. Preliminary studies evaluating irritation and toxicity were favorable and showed that this new prophylactic weapon could contribute to the control of schistosomiasis.
In this experimental study we compared the previous descontamination efficacy of the medical surgical materials by the use of chemical disinfectants and the mechanical cleaning with water and soap, as well as verified the organic material interference in these procedures. To carry out this study, we used surgical pincers under contamination with: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC-6538, Salmonella cholerae suis ATCC-10708, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-15442 in presence and absence of organic matter (fetal bovine serum). The following treatments: glutaraldehyde 2%, sodium hypochlorite 1%, hydrogen peroxide 6%, alcohol 70% and the mechanical cleaning with water and soap were compared with eight repetitions in a total of 480 observations. In the described conditions, the disinfectants had a good efficacy in the previous descontamination of the medical surgical materials and a less inactivation by the organic material. The mechanical cleaning with water and soap showed a reduction of the microrganism to safe levels, considered adequate for previous descontamination.
We present a theory developed to describe the diffuse double layer of electrolytic soap films. The hydrophobic nature of the soap molecules is modeled, in an effective field theory for the system, by the introduction of a free energetic potential favoring the presence of the soap molecules at the film surface. This potential can take various forms, depending on how accurately we wish to model the geometry of the system. The resulting theory is analyzed and leads to the estimation of the electrostatic interactions at the mean field level. A whole range of physical observables is predicted including the electrostatic component of the disjoining pressure isotherm and the Gibbs adsorption isotherm of the system. We compare the theory with accurate disjoining pressure measurements (using X-ray specular reflectivity) carried out on systems composed of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) with two different monovalent electrolytes on a wide range of salinity. The theory appears to account particularly well for the experimental data. A comparison with the DLVO theory is given. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the theory and its modification due to the inclusion of dispersion forces. Copyright 1997 Academic Press. Copyright 1997Academic Press
FTIR and UV-vis spectroscopies have been employed to investigate the self-assembly features of a black soap film (BSF) prepared from aqueous solution consisting of 10(-2) M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and 10(-3) M thiazole yellow (TY) in the liquid-crystalline and gel states, respectively. The construction of two surfactant monolayers of the soap film is independent of the thickness of aqueous core, and the thickness is approximately 1.7 nm at equilibrium. In the liquid-crystalline state, the methylene segments of the hydrocarbon chains are averagely oriented at an angle of 70 degrees with respect to the film normal, and the alkyl chains take a long-range interaction to improve the film elasticity. The TY molecules in the film are horizontally aligned at the monolayer interface in the J-aggregate form. The double-negatively charged TY aggregate greatly enhances the film stability. Dye neutral red is further introduced into the CTAB soap film, the film lifetime is related to the type of the added dyes, in the order of cationic < nonionic < anionic. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.
A mathematical model is constructed to describe the two-dimensional flow in a vertical soap film that is draining under gravity. An asymptotic analysis is employed that uses the long-wave or "lubrication" approximation. The modeling results in three coupled partial differential equations that include a number of dimensionless input parameters. The equations are solved numerically. The three functions calculated, as they vary in space and time, are the film thickness, the surface concentration of an assumed insoluble surfactant, and the slip or surface velocity. The film is assumed to be supported by "wire frame" elements at both the top and the bottom; thus the liquid area and the total surfactant are conserved in the simulation. A two-term "disjoining" pressure is included in the model that allows the development of thin, stable, i.e., "black," films. While the model uses a simplified picture of the relevant physics, it appears to capture observed soap film shape evolution over a large range of surfactant concentrations. The model predicts that, depending on the amount of surfactant that is present, the film profile will pass through several distinct phases. These are (i) rapid initial draining with surfactant transport, (ii) slower draining with an almost immobile interface due to the surface tension gradient effect, and (iii) eventual formation of black spots at various locations on the film. This work is relevant to basic questions concerning surfactant efficacy, as well as to specific questions concerning film and foam draining due to gravity. Prospects for extension to three-dimensional soap film flows are also considered. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
Surface tension measurements of linoleic acid solutions in 0.1 M sodiumborate buffer pH 10 at 23 degrees C showed that at increasing the linoleic acid concentration a sharp transition from monomers to micelles occurs at 167 micrometer. At pH 9 and 8 formation of acid-soap dimers from monomers starts at 60 micrometer and 21 micrometer respectively. The concentration range at which only monomers exist is therefore markedly reduced. For 13-L-hydroperoxylinoleic acid at pH 10 acid-soap formation still takes place, starting at approx. 220 micrometer. The total lipid concentration at which acid-soap or micelle formation starts in mixtures of linoleic acid and 13-L-hydroperoxylinoleic acid has been determined in relation to the molar ratio of both acids.
This paper presents a new measure of syntactic comprehension abilities in brain-damaged populations known as the SOAP (Subject-relative, Object-relative, Active, and Passive), along with data supporting its sensitivity and specificity. This assessment tool examines comprehension of sentences (matched for length) of four syntactic construction types: active, passive, subject-relative, and object-relative. Data are presented that indicate that the SOAP provides a sensitive and reliable differentiation of aphasia subgroups. The SOAP's sensitivity in differentiating broad behavioral (anterior/posterior-lesioned) groups is compared to the auditory comprehension component of the Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination (BDAE), supporting its sensitivity differentiating between anterior- and posterior-lesioned groups. It is argued that this tool can be an important accompaniment to standard aphasia assessment batteries in more sensitively defining syntactic comprehension deficits.
BACKGROUND: No information exists regarding whether a favorite television category choice affects attention, memory, or cognition among older women. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from a population-based community sample of 289 older cognitively and physically intact women who were surveyed about television use. The cognitive battery included measures of psychomotor speed, executive attention, immediate and delayed verbal memory, and global cognition. RESULTS: Talk shows (P < 0.05) or soap operas (P < 0.05) as a favorite television category were consistently associated with poorer scores on all cognitive outcomes in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Clinically significant cognitive impairment across domains were associated with watching talk shows (OR = 7.3; 95% CI = 1.9, 28.4) and soap operas (OR = 13.5; 95% CI = 3.7, 49.5). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical interviews can incorporate questions about television viewing habits. Endorsements of talk shows or soap operas as frequent and favored television programming may identify those at risk for cognitive impairment and targets for further cognitive screening.
Culture-dependent and -independent techniques were used to study the diversity of chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in Soap Lake (Washington State), a meromictic, haloalkaline lake containing an unprecedentedly high sulfide concentration in the anoxic monimolimnion. Both approaches revealed the dominance of bacteria belonging to the genus Thioalkalimicrobium, which are common inhabitants of soda lakes. A dense population of Thioalkalimicrobium (up to 10(7) cells/ml) was found at the chemocline, which is characterized by a steep oxygen-sulfide gradient. Twelve Thioalkalimicrobium strains exhibiting three different phenotypes were isolated in pure culture from various locations in Soap Lake. The isolates fell into two groups according to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. One of the groups was closely related to T. cyclicum, which was isolated from Mono Lake (California), a transiently meromictic, haloalkaline lake. The second group, consisting of four isolates, was phylogenetically and phenotypically distinct from known Thioalkalimicrobium species and unique to Soap Lake. It represented a new species, for which we suggest the name Thioalkalimicrobium microaerophilum sp. nov.
In general, East, Central and Southern Africa appear to be worse affected by HIV-1 infection than West Africa. So far there is little evidence to suggest that differences in either sexual behaviour or numbers of sexual partners could account for this disparity. Two risk factors in men for acquiring HIV-1, that tend to vary along this geographical divide, are lack of circumcision and genital ulcer disease (GUD) which are much less common in West Africa. Although uncircumcised men with GUD are an important high frequency HIV-1 transmitter core group, few interventions have targeted such individuals. Given the recent expansion in AIDS-related technologies, is it possible that methods effective in limiting GUD in the preantibiotic era have been overlooked? During the first and second world wars, chancroid, the commonest cause of GUD in Africa today, was controlled successfully with various prophylactics including soap and water. Many parts of Africa are undergoing social upheaval against a background of violence, and in this environment soap and water prophylaxis would now seem to merit re-evaluation as an intervention for preventing both GUD and HIV-1 in uncircumcised men. By facilitating healing of traumatic, inflammatory and infected penile lesions, pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis with soap and water could be a cheap and effective method for decreasing the risks of acquiring GUD and HIV in this vulnerable group of uncircumcised men.
Peer leading of small-group discussion of cases; use of modified subjective, objective, assessment of physiology (SOAP) notes; and opportunities for self-assessment were introduced into a Medical Physiology course to increase students' awareness and practice of professional behaviors. These changes arose from faculty members' understanding of the hidden curriculum and their efforts to reveal it to take increased advantage of its educationally beneficial aspects. Faculty members and students observed that the requirement for students to submit SOAP notes before their discussions meant that they were well prepared to participate. Student satisfaction with the protocol was high, with >95% of the students agreeing that discussants were well prepared and that the overall performance of their discussion group was good. A comparison of students' performance on selected exam questions showed that peer leading was equally as effective as a previously used teacher-centered approach. Students agreed that their ability to analyze a clinical case had improved using this protocol, an effect that persisted at least one semester after the end of the course. These approaches were time and cost efficient from a faculty perspective while serving the needs of the students. The use of SOAP notes and peer-led discussion were effective forms of instruction, in which students succeeded in learning medical physiology and in practicing professional behaviors.