Repellency of citronella for head lice: double-blind randomized trial of efficacy and safety.

Background: Head lice move easily from head to head. The lack of safe, effective repellents leads to reinfestation.

Objectives: To test the efficacy of a slow-release citronella formulation as a repellent against the head louse.

Photostabilization of an entomopathogenic fungus using composite clay matrices.

To provide photostabilization for entomopathogenic fungi by anionic dyes, composite matrices based on clay-biopolymer combinations were prepared. In the first step, the negative surface charge of various clays (montmorillonite, attapulgite, bentonite and kaolinite) was reversed to positive by adsorption to the polycationic biopolymer chitosan. The second step involved adsorption of the toxicologically safe anionic dyes fast green (FG) and naphthol yellow S (NYS) to the clay complexes.

Detection of cholesterol associated with calcium mineral using confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Background: Cholesterol and calcium are prominant components within human atherosclerotic lesions. Both accumulate predominantly within the central core region of lesions. Because of similarities in some crystallographic faces of cholesterol monohydrate and calcium apatite, it has been previously proposed that deposition of one may nucleate the deposition of the other.

New method for discriminating between calcium stone formers and healthy individuals.

A new method for discriminating between the urine of potential calcium stone formers and healthy persons has been proposed, based on determination of the calcium binding capacity of urine (CBC) by titration of early morning urine with a calcium chloride solution. For this purpose a new PVC matrix calcium ion selectrode for measuring calcium ion concentration in whole urine was used. The selectrode has a disposable membrane which can easily be prepared and replaced in the laboratory.

Determination of the calcium binding capacity to discriminate between urines of calcium stone formers and healthy persons.

Calcium binding by undiluted fasting urine has been tested as a means of demonstrating the capacity of urine from control subjects and calcium stone patients to hold spontaneous precipitation of stone forming compounds. Preliminary data are promising with respect to the possibility that controls and patients can be separated.