Cellophane Sheets Research Articles

The plasticisation model of dye diffusion: Part 2

AbstractTemperature dependent equilibrium dye adsorption data reported for Chlorazol Fast Scarlet 8B, Durazol Red 2B and Chrysophenine G on cotton, CV and CUP fibres and Durazol Grey RG on cotton and CV fibres in the presence of a constant amount of added inorganic electrolyte between 60°C and 90°C, as well as Chrysophenine G on cellophane sheet in the presence of varying amounts of added inorganic electrolyte, between 60°C and 97.5°C, was re‐evaluated using the Williams‐Landel‐Ferry equation. The results obtained suggest that the plasticisation model of dye diffusion appears to offer a reasonable explanation of the temperature dependent equilibrium adsorption of direct dyes on cellulosic fibres/polymers.

Temperature Effects on the Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 Accumulation and Recovery within Its Fungal Host, the Chestnut Blight Pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica.

Biological control of Cryphonectria parasitica fungus, the causal agent of chestnut blight, by virus infection (hypovirulence) is an effective control strategy against chestnut blight in Europe and some parts of North America. The most studied mycovirus is the Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV1) type species of the Hypoviridae family. In this study, the CHV1 virus was studied within some highly infected British isolates of Cryphonectria parasitica, gained in the past through co-culture transmissions. The effects of six temperatures (5-30 °C, in 5 °C steps) on six infected isolates (three with viral strain E-5, and other three with viral strain L-18) and their respective negative non-infected controls, three isogenic virulent fungal isolates, were examined. Experiments were performed with the nine isolate types with three replicates on potato dextrose agar (PDA) with cellophane sheets per isolate and temperature. A recently developed rapid, specific, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) screening method was used. This enabled quantifying the concentration (nanograms per microliter or copy numbers) of the virus within each isolate repetition. The presence of the virus had a significant negative effect between 20 and 25 °C on the C. parasitica growth rate, which was anyway highly influenced by and positively correlated with the temperature. The temperature clearly determined the virus accumulation and its recovery from cold or heat, and the virus optimum temperature was estimated at 15-25 °C.

Gender Specific Correlation between Lip Print, Fingerprint and Blood Groups among Adults aged 20-30 Years attending a Tertiary Health Care Centre

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine gender specific correlation between lip print, finger print and blood group among 120 adult clinical cases in a tertiary hospital in Kathmandu. Lip prints were collected using lipstick and cellophane sheet. Thumb print was collected using commercially available ink pad and white paper and analyzed using hand held magnifying lens. Blood group was noted at the time of recording lip and thumb print. A statistically significant association of gender with fingerprint (p=<0.001) and lip print (p=0.001) was found. A strong co-existing relation have been found between gender and the loop fingerprint-lip print type I’- blood group O and arch fingerprint–lip print type I’– blood group ‘O’.

Establishment and application of novel culture methods in Marchantia polymorpha: persistent tip growth is required for substrate penetration by rhizoids

ABSTRACT A NIMA-related protein kinase, MpNEK1, directs tip growth of rhizoids through microtubule depolymerization in a liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. The Mpnek1 knockouts were shown to develop curly and spiral rhizoids due to the fluctuated direction of growth. Still, physiological roles and mechanisms of MpNEK1-dependent rhizoid tip growth remain to be clarified. Here, we developed novel culture methods to further study rhizoid growth of M. polymorpha, in which plants were grown on vertical plates. We applied the established methods to investigate MpNEK1 function in rhizoid growth. Rhizoids of the wild-type and Mpnek1 plants grew toward the gravity. The aerial rhizoids were longer in Mpnek1 than in the wild type. When the rhizoids were grown on the surface of a cellophane sheet, rhizoid length was comparable between the wild type and Mpnek1, whereas Mpnek1 developed more rhizoids compared to the wild type. We also applied gellan gum, which is more transparent than agar, to analyze rhizoids grown in the medium. Rhizoids of Mpnek1 displayed defect on entering into the solid medium. These results suggest that Mpnek1 rhizoids have the deficiency in invasive tip growth. Thus, stable directional growth is important for rhizoids to get into the soil to anchor plant body and to adsorb water and nutrients. Collectively, our newly designed growth systems are valuable for analyzing rhizoid growth.

Fold analysis of crumpled sheets using microcomputed tomography.

Hand-crumpled paper balls involve intricate structure with a network of creases and vertices, yet show simple scaling properties, which suggests self-similarity of the structure. We investigate the internal structure of crumpled papers by the microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) without destroying or unfolding them. From the reconstructed three-dimensional (3D) data, we examine several power laws for the crumpled square sheets of paper of the sizes L=50-300mm and obtain the mass fractal dimension D_{M}=2.7±0.1 by the relation between the mass and the radius of gyration of the balls and the fractal dimension 2.5≲d_{f}≲2.8 for the internal structure of each crumpled paper ball by the box counting method in the real space and the structure factors in the Fourier space. The data for the paper sheets are consistent with D_{M}=d_{f}, suggesting that the self-similarity in the structure of each crumpled ball gives rise to the similarity among the balls with different sizes. We also examine the cellophane sheets and the aluminium foils of the size L=200mm and obtain 2.6≲d_{f}≲2.8 for both of them. The micro-CT also allows us to reconstruct 3D structure of a line drawn on the crumpled sheets of paper. The Hurst exponent for the root-mean-square displacement along the line is estimated as H≈0.9 for the length scale shorter than the scale of the radius of gyration, beyond which the line structure becomes more random with H∼0.5.

A cellophane-supported Arabidopsis culture for seamless transfer between different media is useful for studying various nitrogen responses

ABSTRACT Transferring plants between different nutritional media is a common technique in plant nutrition research. Solidified sterile media are often used for plant culture and subsequent transfer experiments. Transplanting is generally performed one plant at a time using sterile tweezers. This method has several challenges: it is time-consuming, which makes analyzing short-term responses to nutritional changes difficult; plants can be mechanically damaged, which can confound results; transferring mature plants is accompanied by root wounding due to root penetration into the solidified medium; and root shapes are altered, which precludes a precise evaluation on nutritional responses of root system architecture. To solve these problems, this study tried to adopt a system for Arabidopsis culture using solidified media covered with cellophane disks for the transfer experiments to analyze nitrogen responses as a case study. The cellophane disk prevented the penetration of roots into the solidified medium and fixed the roots loosely; thereby, facilitating sterile, rapid and noninvasive transfer of young and mature Arabidopsis plants between media without changing root shape. The plants-on-cellophane grown on the solidified media were directly transferred onto hydroponics, where plants vegetate and propagate seeds under strict nutritional control. The root proliferation on the cellophane disk allowed direct observations of root architecture and green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluorescence in the roots. Collectively, we conclude that the introduction of a cellophane sheet to the existing culture system would accelerate experiments in plant nutritional research.

LIGHT QUALITY IN VITRO GROWTH AND ACCLIMATIZATION OF TWO VARIETIES OF PHALAENOPSIS AMABILIS ALBA BLUME (ORCHIDACEAE)

This study aimed to analyze the in vitro growth and acclimatization of two cultivars (cv. 6323 and cv. 6546) of the species under different light quality regimes. To evaluate the influence of light quality on the growth of seedlings of the two cultivars, plants were submitted to five different light treatments: white, blue, yellow, green and red obtained by wrapping vials with colored cellophane sheets. After 60 days of cultivation, the multivariate statistical evaluation of the results was performed. From the biometric data analysis, it could be seen that the in vitro and ex vitro growth of P. amabilis were influenced by different light qualities and the resulting variation occurs due to the influence of the genotype. The blue spectrum exerted a greater influence on the cv. 6323 and the green spectrum on the cv. 6546.

Studies on keeping quality of dried and dyed Chincherinchee flowers

Chincherinchee flowers were harvested when 10–11 florets were open for conducting studies on keeping quality. Flowers dried in hot air oven and in microwave oven as well as dyed flowers were kept upto 120 days under three conditions of storage i.e., without cover, in cellophane sheets and in paper envelopes. The results indicated that after 120 days of storage duration, maximum score was allotted to flowers which were dried in microwave oven and were kept covered in paper envelopes. Similarly, in case of dyed flowers maximum presentability was found in Yellow fabric dye stored in paper envelopes followed by those stored in cellophane sheets as compared to open (without cover) conditions.

Comparison of Dimensional Accuracy of Stone Models Fabricated by Three Different Impression Techniques Using Two Brands of Polyvinyl Siloxane Impression Materials

The aim of this study is to check the dimensional precision of stone models made by two different brands of polyvinyl siloxane impression materials using the monophase, one-step, and two-step putty/light-body impression techniques. A metal model, having two crown preparations, was fabricated. With each technique, 40 impressions were made using two types of polyvinyl siloxane impression materials (Aquasil and Virtual). A total of 240 impressions were made with both the polyvinyl siloxane impression materials. Monophase impressions were made with a medium body using an acrylic custom tray. By simultaneous usage of putty and light-body, one-step impressions were made with a perforated metal stock tray. For two-step impressions, a 25-40 microns thick cellophane sheet spacer was used. The stone casts were obtained from the impressions of the stainless steel model. Three different dimensions (height, diameter, and inter-abutment distance) on these resultant stone casts were compared with the standard die. The accuracy of two different brands of impression materials was also compared. The results were then statistically analyzed. The resultant casts obtained from the different impression techniques had significantly larger dimensions in height and diameter, but smaller dimensions were observed for the inter-abutment distance. Larger deviation in resultant casts was observed in the monophase than one-step impression technique and the least deviation was observed in the two-step impression technique. The two-step impression technique produced the most accurate results in terms of the resultant casts. Out of the two different brands, Aquasil produced more fare results. Adequate marginal adaptation, proper fit and least distortion of the castings, and the final prosthesis can be achieved by using the adequate impression technique and impression material.

Experimental investigation on the compressive strength of foamed concrete: Effect of curing conditions, cement type, foaming agent and dry density

This paper presents the first results of an ongoing experimental campaign focused on foamed concrete. The dependence of the compressive strength upon dry density, water content, curing conditions, cement type and, most importantly, foaming agents employed in the cement paste is here investigated. In particular, this experimental study comprises more than 100 foamed concrete specimens with a fixed water/cement ratio and dry densities ranging from around 350 up to 850 kg/m3, two cement types, three foaming agents with either protein or synthetic nature, and curing conditions in water at 30 °C, in air as well as within a cellophane sheet at environmental temperature. Unlike most of the research studies in which the water/cement ratio is adjusted on the basis of the stability and the consistence of the foam concrete mix, in this experimental investigation this ratio is fixed constant for all the analyzed design densities. This specimen preparation has made it possible to highlight different behaviors of the employed foaming agents having different nature, which is not fully described in other similar studies of the relevant literature, especially for the range of low densities analyzed in this work. The variability of the compressive strength measured is ascribed to a different stability behavior of the foams generated by foaming agents having different nature during the mixing phase with the cement paste. It is found that the increase of the compressive strength with the density is more or less described by a linear trend and is more pronounced when protein foaming agents are employed in the mix design.

Stained Gels Can Be Stored for Several Months in Nonsealed Polyethylene Bags.

It is customary to dry gels (SDS-PAGE, native gels, or two-dimensional gels) after staining for record keeping purposes. This is typically carried out with gel dryers or by drying between two cellophane sheets held together by acrylic frames. Here, we report a simple method to store a variety of stained gels without any storage buffer within flexible nonsealed polyethylene bags. Gels can be stored for several months at room temperature without significant shrinking or protein diffusion. The gel stays hydrated owing to the de facto sealing achieved by the polyethylene sheets adhering air-tightly to the gel on either side. The microsaturated environment generated by the thin film of water molecules trapped between the gel and the polyethylene sheets, combined with the nonporous nature of the polyethylene sheets, apparently keeps the gel from cracking or shrinking significantly. The intensity of stained proteins increased during storage probably from the slight gel shrinkage observed. Storing gels in this manner is convenient (a) when low abundance protein spots from multiple two-dimensional electrophoresis gels have to be excised for in-gel tryptic digestion or electroelution and (b) for wet gel autoradiography. In addition to avoiding dryer contamination and saving drying time, these bags prevent the moist gel from sticking to X-ray film. Such storage could also prove useful for electrophoretic transfer of fixed and stained gels.

High Power Glucose/O2 Biofuel Cell Constructed from MgO-Temlated Carbon Modified Carbon Cloth

Enzymatic biofuel cells (EBFCs) based on enzyme electrocatalysts are devices to directly convert chemical energy of glucose and alcohol to electronical energy. EBFCs gather attention as a power source of wearable electronic sensor devices because they have high biocompatibility. In this paper, we report a glucose/O2 EBFC using flexible carbon cloth electrodes modified with mesoporous carbon particle, which shows high power density as high as 2 mW cm-2. Moreover, the capacity of the BFCs can be controlled by the mole number of glucose added. Porous carbon electrode was fabricated by modifying the MgO-templated mesoporous carbon (MgOC) on carbon cloth in order to enlarge surface area and to immobilize enzyme and redox mediator on electrode surface. MgOC is a kind of pore size-controlled porous carbon; mesopore size can be controlled by alternating the MgO template size. For the anode catalyst, flavin adenine dinucleotide dependent glucose dehydrogenase (FAD-GDH) from Aspergillus terreus was used. Naphthoquinones (NQ) were used as anode mediator. FAD-GDH and NQ were modified on the anode 0.19 and 1.5 mg cm-2, respectively. For the oxygen-reducing cathode, bilirubin oxidase (BOD) was used as enzyme, and 2,2’-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid ammonium salt) (ABTS) as mediator. BOD and ABTS were modified on the cathode 1.25 and 1.25 mg cm-2, respectively. 1.0 M phosphate buffer (pH = 7.0) was used as an electrolyte. A cellophane sheet was sandwiched between the anode and cathode as a separator. Figure 1 shows the cell power (solid lines) and cell voltage (broken lines) as a function of current density of the EBFCs. The maximum output power density of BFCs using 1,2-NQ and 1,4-NQ for anode mediators were 1.69 and 2.06 mW cm-2, receptively, because the redox potential of 1,4-NQ is more negative than that of 1,2-NQ. Figure 2 shows the cell capacity of the BFCs as a function of glucose concentration added to the cell. The capacity of the cell increased linear with an increase of the mole number of glucose. Figure 1

The Effect of Different Temperatures and Moisture Levels on Survival of Calonectria pseudonaviculata in Boxwood Leaves and Twigs and as Microsclerotia Produced in Culture.

Leaves and twig sections of boxwood infected with Calonectria pseudonaviculata were incubated in sand at two moisture levels (36% [carrying capacity] and 5% water [vol/vol]) and at five temperatures (-10, 0, 10, 20, and 30°C). Percent sporulation from monthly tissue samples plated on glucose yeast-extract tyrosine media declined to zero after 5 months at 30°C and after 7 months at -10°C. At 0, 10, and 20°C, sporulation was observed through 30 months. Statistical analysis of data collected over 16 months of sampling showed a significant effect for temperature in all sample types, with maximum survival at 10°C. For discrete microsclerotia grown on cellophane sheets, sporulation was not observed after 2 months at 30°C or after7 months at -10°C. At all other temperatures, they continued to germinate over the 30 months of sampling. Statistical analysis showed significant effects for temperature and moisture level, with maximum survival at 0°C in moist soil over 16 months. These results suggest that extremes of heat and cold will kill the pathogen in plant debris but, at moderate temperatures, it will remain in soil for long periods, making replanting in affected sites in well-moderated climates difficult.

MP91-01 THE NOVEL SCREENING METHOD FOR MALE INFERTILITY WITH SINGLE-BALL LENS MICROSCOPE AND SMARTPHONE

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Semen analysis is the key element in the diagnosing the reproductive potential of a male subject. In current practice men must use a clinic or other hospital facility to have their semen analyzed. However, many subjects are not comfortable with this procedure, which they often find embarrassing and expensive. Interestingly enough, a Dutch scientist, Anton van Leeuwenhoek, first discovered the spermatozoa in 1677 using a single-ball lens microscope that had invented. Here we report on a novel semen analysis device consisting of single-ball lens microscope paired with a state-of-the-art smart phone equipped with a camera of the kind found in nearly all commercial smart phones. METHODS: We developed a microscope constructed with single-ball lens of 0.8 mm in diameter inserted into a plastic jacket that attaches to commercial smart phone. For our experiments, we specifically designed and built a jacket for a smartphone (LG Optimus Exceed2, Android 4.2.2) equipped with a 500 megapixels camera and 800 480 of video resolution. The magnification provided by this singleball lens was 550 times. We used this lens with the smartphone camera to pictures and video clips of semen samples. In our typical experimental setup, we placed a semen sample with a volume of approximately 20 ml on a 50 mm cellophane sheet. The distance between the single-ball lens and the smartphone camera was 1.5 mm. Motile and static sperm were counted on the enlarged PC screen connected to the smartphone. We analyzed a total of 45 human semen samples both with our device and CASA software (SCA HUMAN edition ver. 5.2). RESULTS: Sperm concentration counted with single-ball lens showed a very strong correlation with the CASA results (P<0.01, r1⁄40.89). In addition, Sperm motility analyzed with our device showed significant correlations to CASA (P<0.01, r1⁄40.74). CONCLUSIONS: Smartphones have great potential to support semen analysis because they are portable, contain excellent digital cameras and can be easily attached to a microscope. Single-ball lens microscope is inexpensive and easy to use for acquiring digital microscopic movies. Given its small size and weight, the device can support testing for male fertility at home, making it much more convenient and economical than current practice. We are currently working on device extensions in order to make it easy to focus on a semen sample, to obtain good quality images, to quantify semen status automatically and to reconstruct 3D image for morphology analysis. This single-ball lens microscope provides an easy solution for global users to screen male infertility at home.

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE MICROSHEAR BOND STRENGTH AND THE SOLUBILITY OF RESIN SEALER WITH AND WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF NANO SILVER

Aim: To compare the micro shear bond strength and the solubility of resin sealer with and without the addition of Nano silver. Materials and Methods: This study was carried out on 30 human freshly extracted upper first premolars. After preparation of tooth surfaces for microshear bond strength test, The prepared teeth were assigned to three groups 10 of each: Group A: AH Plus sealer was used, Group B: AH Plus sealer with 0.2% Nano silver incorporated to the already mixed sealer was used, group C: AH Plus sealer in addition to 0.5% Nano silver incorporated to the already mixed sealer was used. A shear load with tensile mode of force was applied via materials testing machine, Micro-shear bond strength was measured. For solubility test 30 PVC rings with 20 mm in internal diameter and 5 mm in thickness were placed onto a thin cellophane sheet supported by a glass plate and filled with sealers as follows: Group A, 10 rings filled with AH Plus sealer mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Group B, 10 rings filled with AH Plus sealer mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, in addition to 0.2% Nano silver incorporated to the already mixed sealer. Group C, 10 rings filled with AH Plus sealer mixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, in addition to 0.5% Nano silver has incorporated to the already mixed sealer. The samples were kept in an environment with temperature of 37˚C for up to three times the setting time of each sealer group. After that, the samples were removed from the rings. Each sample was weighed on precision scale and suspended through the nylon thread inside a large opening flask containing 50 ml of ultrapure water and all samples were maintained into the incubator at 37˚C for 7 days. Then the samples were placed into desiccators for 24 hours for new weighing. The difference between the first and the second weight represents the mass loss for each of the specimens. Results: Group A showed the highest mean value of microshear bond strength among all groups. Group B showed a mean value of microshear bond strength, lower than Group A and there was a statistically significant difference between them, but was higher than that of Group C and there was no statistically significant difference between these two groups B and C. Group C showed the least mean value of microshear bond strength among all groups, it showed statistically significant difference with group A, and although it was also lower than Group B but there was no statistically significant difference between them. For solubility test group C showed the least mean value of solubility among all groups, it showed statistically significant difference with group A, and although it was also lower than Group B but there was no statistically significant difference between them. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the incorporation of 0.2%& 0.5% nano silver particles to the already mixed AH plus sealer although decreased the microshear bond strength to dentin but it increased the resistance of the sealer to solubility..

Assessment of cheiloscopy in sex determination using lysochrome - A preliminary study.

Introduction:The present study was undertaken with the objective of ascertaining whether latent lip prints generated by persistent lipsticks and developed using lysochrome dyes have the potential of use in sex determination and personal identification.Materials and Methods:This study included a total of 100 subjects (50 males and 50 females) whose latent lip prints were obtained by applying the persistent lipstick Revlon ColorStay Overtime® manufactured by Revlon® consumer products corporation, NewYork, USA, and lifting the prints with cellophane sheets. The prints were then developed using lysochrome dyes, and all the samples were blinded and then graded based on defined patterns from the Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification.Results:No two lip prints were found to be alike. Type I was found to be the most prevalent type. In the female population, Type I (61%) was most prevalent, followed by Type I’ (28%), Type II (9%), Type III (2%), Type IV (1%), and Type V (1%); in the male population, Type I (33%) was most prevalent, followed by Type II (23%), Type III (18%), Type IV (14%), Type I’ (10%), and Type V (3%). Two examiners were able to determine the correct sexes from the given sample sizes. Their interobserver agreement was assessed using the kappa coefficient for males (κ =0.870) and females (κ = 0.870). Their accuracy was assessed with a confidence interval (CI) of 91.48-99.38.Conclusion:Lysochrome dyes are very efficacious in developing latent lip prints. This preliminary study has conclusively proved that latent lip prints developed with lysochrome dyes hold the potential for use in sex determination and can be maintained in a digital database.

Technical Feasibility of TachoSil Application on Esophageal Anastomoses.

Purpose. Sealing esophageal anastomoses with a sealant patch (TachoSil) containing human fibrinogen and thrombin may improve mechanical strength. The aim was to evaluate the technical feasibility of the application of a sealant patch in upper gastrointestinal surgery. Methods. In total 15 patients, 18–80 years old, undergoing thoracolaparoscopic esophagectomy with esophagogastrostomy or laparoscopic total gastrectomy with esophagojejunostomy was included. Different techniques of anastomotic TachoSil patch application were tested and recorded on video. Results. TachoSil was successfully applied to the esophagogastrostomy (n = 11) and to the esophagojejunostomy (n = 4). A median of 2 (1–6) attempts was necessary to reach successful application. The median duration was 7 (3–26) minutes before successful application was accomplished. The best technique in esophagectomy was the application of TachoSil with the use of 2 cellophane sheets. For total gastrectomy, the patch was folded into a harmonica shape and wrapped around the esophagojejunostomy. Although not significant, the number of attempts and time to success showed a decreasing trend along with the increased experience. Conclusion. Application of TachoSil as a sealant of esophageal anastomoses was technically feasible. Future studies may investigate the value of TachoSil application on the prevention of anastomotic leakage.

Proteogenomic analysis of the Venturia pirina (Pear Scab Fungus) secretome reveals potential effectors.

A proteogenomic analysis is presented for Venturia pirina, a fungus that causes scab disease on European pear (Pyrus communis). V. pirina is host-specific, and the infection is thought to be mediated by secreted effector proteins. Currently, only 36 V. pirina proteins are catalogued in GenBank, and the genome sequence is not publicly available. To identify putative effectors, V. pirina was grown in vitro on and in cellophane sheets mimicking its growth in infected leaves. Secreted extracts were analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry, and the data (ProteomeXchange identifier PXD000710) was queried against a protein database generated by combining in silico predicted transcripts with six frame translations of a whole genome sequence of V. pirina (GenBank Accession JEMP00000000 ). We identified 1088 distinct V. pirina protein groups (FDR 1%) including 1085 detected for the first time. Thirty novel (not in silico predicted) proteins were found, of which 14 were identified as potential effectors based on characteristic features of fungal effector protein sequences. We also used evidence from semitryptic peptides at the protein N-terminus to corroborate in silico signal peptide predictions for 22 proteins, including several potential effectors. The analysis highlights the utility of proteogenomics in the study of secreted effectors.

To study the flow property of seven commercially available zinc oxide eugenol impression material at various time intervals after mixing.

Aims and objective of the study was to evaluate the flow property of seven commercially available zinc oxide eugenol impression materials at various time intervals, after mixing 49 samples (seven groups) were fabricated for flow property of the material. The sample were fabricated as equal length of base and accelerator paste of the test materials was taken on the glass slab and mixed with a rigid stainless steel spatula as per manufacturers recommendation till the homogenous mix was obtained. The mix material was loaded in glass syringe and 0.5ml material was injected on a cellophane sheet placed on marked glass plate. A cellophane sheet and glass plate70 and 500g weight was carefully placed on freshly dispensed zinc oxide eugenol impression paste sequentially. The diameter of the mix was noted after 30s and 1min of load application and also after the final set of material. The diameter gives the flow of material. The samples were stored at the room temperature. The data of the flow property was analyzed with analysis of variance, Post hoc test and t test. The flow of the zinc oxide eugenol impression paste after 30s, 1min and final set of load application for Group A to Group G was noted. Maximum flow was seen for Group G zinc oxide eugenol impression material followed by Group F, D, E, B, C and A in descending order respectively after 30s, where as the flow property changed after 1min in the sequence of maximum for Group G followed by Group E, D, B, A, C, and F. Lastly after final set of the impression material the flow maximum for Group G followed by Group E, D, C, F, A and B in descending order. Based on statistical analysis of the results and within in the limitations of this in-vitro study, the following conclusions were drawn that; the flow of zinc oxide eugenol impression material after 30s, 1min and that after the final set was maximum for P.S.P. (Group G) and the flow for PYREX (Group A) was minimum.

Gene expression profiling of candidate virulence factors in the laminated root rot pathogen Phellinus sulphurascens

BackgroundPhellinus sulphurascens is a fungal pathogen that causes laminar root rot in conifers, one of the most damaging root diseases in western North America. Despite its importance as a forest pathogen, this fungus is still poorly studied at the genomic level. An understanding of the molecular events involved in establishment of the disease should help to develop new methods for control of this disease.ResultsWe generated over 4600 expressed sequence tags from two cDNA libraries constructed using either mycelia grown on cellophane sheets and exposed to Douglas-fir roots or tissues from P. sulphurascens-infected Douglas-fir roots. A total of 890 unique genes were identified from the two libraries, and functional classification of 636 of these genes was possible using the Functional Catalogue (FunCat) annotation scheme. cDNAs were identified that encoded 79 potential virulence factors, including numerous genes implicated in virulence in a variety of phytopathogenic fungi. Many of these putative virulence factors were also among 82 genes identified as encoding putatively secreted proteins. The expression patterns of 86 selected fungal genes over 7 days of infection of Douglas-fir were examined using real-time PCR, and those significantly up-regulated included rhamnogalacturonan acetylesterase, 1,4-benzoquinone reductase, a cyclophilin, a glucoamylase, 3 hydrophobins, a lipase, a serine carboxypeptidase, a putative Ran-binding protein, and two unknown putatively secreted proteins called 1 J04 and 2 J12. Significantly down-regulated genes included a manganese-superoxide dismutase, two metalloproteases, and an unknown putatively secreted protein called Ps0058.ConclusionsThis first collection of Phellinus sulphurascens EST sequences and its annotation provide an important resource for future research aimed at understanding key virulence factors of this forest pathogen. We examined the expression patterns of numerous fungal genes with potential roles in virulence, and found a collection of functionally diverse genes that are significantly up- or down-regulated during infection of Douglas-fir seedling roots by P. sulphurascens.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-603) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.