[Mouth-rinsing with chlorhexidine for prevention of pneumonia].

Oral decontamination with chlorhexidine prevents accumulation of pathogens in the oral cavity, and can thereby reduce the risk of translocation to and colonization of the lungs. The antiseptic agent chlorhexidine has been widely used in dentistry, it has an excellent record of safety and efficacy and a broad antimicrobial spectrum. Mouth-rinsing with chlorhexidine may result in 90 % reduction of oral microbes.

Characterization of the impact of acetate and lactate on ethanolic fermentation by Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus.

Ethanolic fermentation of simple sugars is an important step in the production of bioethanol as a renewable fuel. Significant levels of organic acids, which are generally considered inhibitory to microbial metabolism, could be accumulated during ethanolic fermentation, either as a fermentation product or as a by-product generated from pre-treatment steps. To study the impact of elevated concentrations of organic acids on ethanol production, varying levels of exogenous acetate or lactate were added into cultures of Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus strain 39E with glucose, xylose or cellobiose as the sole fermentation substrate.

[Adverse drug effects in the oral region].

Syphilis was previously termed "the great imitator" because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases. This role has been taken over by drugs, and this also applies to adverse drug reactions in the oral region. Accordingly, a careful drug history, including identification of any prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal medicines used, may give an important clue to the differential diagnosis of oral diseases when the aetiology is not apparent.