Disposable Plastic Cups Research Articles

Efficacy of 0Rgan0Flu0Rine Compounds Against the Red Imported Fire Ant, 1980

Abstract Twenty worker ants from laboratory colonies of the red imported fire ant (RIFA) starved for 14 days were placed in 30-ml disposable plastic cups modified to provide a humid environment. Candidate chemicals were dissolved in once refined soybean oil (SBO) and presented to the ants on a cotton swab placed in a vial cap that was then placed in 1 of the cups. The ants were allowed to feed on the treated SBO for 24 h, after which, the treated cotton swabs were removed. After another 24 h fresh vial caps with untreatd SBO saturated cotton swabs were made available to the ants for the duration of the test. Mortality counts were made at intervals of 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 10 and 14 days after initial exposure. Each test consisted of 3 replications at 3 concentrations, 1.0, 0.1 and 0.01%. Room temperature was maintained at 26.7 ± 2.2°C. A SBO control and a mi rex standard were used in all tests. Based on encouraging USDA screening results for 3 fluon’nated alcohols (AI3-23780-23782) from several years ago, we tested 28 commercially available fluorinated compounds. Four compounds showed significant delayed toxicity at 1.0%; however, these compounds did not have activity at lower concentrations. Although none of the compounds tested appeared to be suitable fire ant toxicants, the results were encouraging and our laboratory is investigating other organofluorine compounds for toxicity against these ants.

The myth of the clean catch urine specimen

Urine specimens obtained from unprepped ambulatory females who voided into an unsterile disposable plastic cup showed a 95-per cent correlation with a catheterized specimen collected from a prepped patient through a sterile cystoscope. From these data, it appears that the midstream urine specimen and its unpleasant collection routine can be eliminated. We have found that specimens collected at anytime during voiding in unsterile disposable plastic cups result in reliable urine cultures.

A solid phase, direct competition, radioimmunoassay for quantitation of secretory IgA in human serum

A solid phase radioimmunoassay is described for measurement of secretory IgA (sIgA) in human serum. The assay is based on direct competition between sIgA in serum and purified labelled milk sIgA for anti-secretory-component antibodies coated on disposable plastic cups. The assay is relatively rapid, reproducible and of adequate sensitivity. A wide range of sIgA concentrations (5–120 μg/ml) can be tested with the same dilution of human serum. The arithmetic mean ± S.D. of the serum sIgA levels of 120 random blood donors (both sexes) was 10.9 ± 4.6 μg/ml. Compared to previously published methods and results of quantitation of sIgA in human sera, the present assay is an improvement which should yield interesting data in human hepatic physiopathology.

Dispenser of Laboratory Diet Into Multiple Rearing Containers12

An economical method of dispensing specific volumes of diet for Heliothis spp. larvae into multiple containers (compartments of disposable plastic trays or plastic cups) was devised. The system uses a tubing pump and an easily fabricated dispensing head. It can be used with other diets that contain fine particles and have low viscosity. The apparatus is easily taken apart for cleaning and sterilization. Repeatability of dispensing the diet was ± 1–2%; accuracy of dividing the diet into portions was ± 1–5%.