The care of chronic wounds carries a heavy financial burden on the healthcare industry, with billons being spent annually on their treatment. This, coupled with a decreased quality of life for sufferers, has led to a real urgency in developing inexpensive wound dressings that promote wound healing. Alginate gels for application as wound dressings were formed by varying alginate (0%-6% w/v), calcium carbonate (0%-1% w/v), hydrogen peroxide (0%-3.75% v/v), and hyaluronic acid (0-1.25 mg/L) content. The aging effects on the physical properties of the gels over a 14-day period were also investigated. The results indicated that the concentration of calcium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide, as well as sample age, all had a significant effect on the rupture characteristics and gelation time of the gels. Increased calcium carbonate content caused an increase in rupture force and rupture energy values, whereas increased hydrogen peroxide content and sample age resulted in a decrease in rupture force and rupture energy measurements. Increased calcium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide content produced a decrease in the time required for gel formation. Statistical models were also produced to provide a means of estimating rupture characteristics and gelation times for gels containing other concentrations of these components.
Thin blood smears prepared from 125 South Polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) at breeding islands and feeding sites in the Vestfold Hills region of Antarctica between December 1999 and January 2000 did not contain hematozoa. These findings confirm results of previous smaller studies, and provide baseline data for this species.
The American journaL o/OccupationaL Therap)1 M eyer 0922/1977) stated that each person has an intrinsic need for balance of work, play, and rest to attain wholesome living. Play, for adults, is referred to as leisure time or avocational activities. Leisure may encompass a wide varieey of activities from sports, to gardening, to art, to travel. The U.S. Travel Data Center (1993) reported that 740 million leisure trips were completed within the United States and
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.