Monitoring of methotrexate chlorination in water.

Anti-cancer drugs are an important class of pharmaceutical products. Methotrexate (MTX) is a folic acid antagonist used in high doses as antimetabolite in anti-cancer treatment as well as in low doses for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and adults' psoriasis. In the past, several anti-cancer drugs, including methotrexate, have been found in the environment.

A comprehensive method for determination of fatty acids in the initial oral biofilm (pellicle).

The acquired pellicle is a tenacious organic layer covering the surface of teeth, protecting the underlying dental hard tissues. Lipids account for about one quarter of the pellicle's dry weight and are assumed to be of considerable importance for their protective properties. Nevertheless, only preliminary information is available about the nature of lipids in the pellicle.

Elution of monomers from three different bonding systems and their antibacterial effect.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the release of monomers from three bonding systems and to correlate it with their antibacterial effect. Three bonding systems (Optibond FL(®), Xeno III(®) and Clearfil™ Protect Bond) were tested after storage in ethanol 75 % and human saliva. Twenty samples (n = 10/medium) of each bonding material were prepared and polymerized according to the manufacturers' instructions.

The effect of storage medium on the elution of monomers from composite materials.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of four different storage media on the elution of monomers from two composite materials. Samples (n = 10, diameter: 4.5 mm, thickness: 2 mm) of two different composite materials (Ceram X™ & Filtek™ Supreme XT) were stored after polymerization in four different media (NaCl, saliva, ethanol 75% & acetone) for 24 h, 7 days, and 28 days.

Interlaboratory comparison of measurements of acid-volatile sulfide and simultaneously extracted nickel in spiked sediments.

An interlaboratory comparison of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted nickel (SEM_Ni) measurements of sediments was conducted among five independent laboratories. Relative standard deviations for the seven test samples ranged from 5.6 to 71% (mean = 25%) for AVS and from 5.