An experimental study concerning the effect of chronic irritation of corneocytes was made in relation to their number, size and shape. The desquamating portion of the stratum corneum was sampled with the detergent scrub technique using Triton X-100. The experimental subjects were scrub nurses who had worked in the operating room for more than 3 years and ward nurses were used as a control group. The corneocytes of skin irritated by daily scrubbing differed, from those of the non-irritated skin of the ward nurses. About twice as many cells were collected per cm2 skin surface from the scrub nurses on the first experimental day. Two and four days later the number was markedly decreased and became similar to that of the control group. The surface of the corneocytes was 15% smaller in the experimental group than that of the control group, through out the experiment. There was no significant difference between the two groups as regards corneocyte morphology.
Adult ; Epidermis/cytology* ; Female ; Handwashing* ; Human ; Soaps* ; Surface-Active Agents*

OBJECTIVETo prepare and determine the proportion of the components of lidocaine microemulsion.

METHODSPseudoternary phase diagrams of the prepared lidocaine microemulsion with different Km (surfactant/cosurfactant) were generated to determine the optimal Km according to the size of the microemulsion area. The diameter and its distribution range, viscosity, electric conductivity and refractivity of lidocaine microemulsion drop was determined, and the appearance and system type of the microemulsion was observed using electron microscope. RESULTS; Maximum microemulsion area in the pseudoternary phase diagrams was obtained with the Km of 3, and the drop size of the microemulsion averaged 29.8+/-14.4 nm (with up to 98% of the drop size ranging between 15.1-45.5 nm and 2% between 77.9-261.3 nm). At 25 degrees C, the viscosity, electric conductivity and refractivity of the microemulsion was 25 mPa.S, 130 micros/cm and 1.473, respectively, and the lidocaine microemulsion was identified to belong to O/W type. The microemulsion drop appeared in spherical shape of heterogeneous sizes in a multi-disperse system.

CONCLUSIONThe optimal proportion of the components in lidocaine microemulsion can be obtained by analyzing pseudoternary phase diagrams, and the drop size, distribution, shape and system type can be determined or observed through Maerwen Zetasizer combined with electron microscopic observation.

Extraction of phospholipid frome minced porcine lung using a combination of Cloroform-Methanol (2:1) and a selected ratio of 1/30 (w/v) between material and solvent showed to be excellent to give in a good yield. Their chemical compositions have been identified and measured comparing with standards, including mainly: phosphatidyl cholin, phosphatidyl serin, phosphatidyl glycerol, and shingomyelin. The purification of product resulted in 80% of total phospholipid.
Surface-Active Agents ; Lung

Aims: This study was aimed to isolate and characterize biosurfactant producing bacteria from Mile 2 and Ologe Lagoon which are sinks for domestic and industrial waste waters and potential source of value added bioresources such as biosurfactants, hydrocarbon degraders and organisms with potential for biotechnological applications. Methodology and results: Physicochemical parameters of the two lagoon waters were analyzed using standard procedures. Bacteria were isolated using enrichment techniques on 1% Escravos light crude oil, palm oil and groundnut oil on mineral salt medium (MSM). Biosurfactant production by the isolates was assayed by hemolytic activity, oil spread test, blue agar test and emulsification activity. Isolates were identified using their colony morphologies and biochemical characteristics, while the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was determined using multidisc. The physicochemistry of the lagoon water showed high nitrate content of 15.7 mg/L and 19.6 mg/L for Mile 2 and Ologe Lagoon, respectively. Total hydrocarbon content (THC) of both lagoon waters was low, with values 0.53 mg/L for Mile 2 Lagoon and 0.44 mg/L for Ologe Lagoon. The predominant genera of bacteria identified include Micrococcus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Stomatococcus and Moraxella. A total of 23 bacterial isolates were tested for hemolytic activity, of which 13 showed β-hemolysis which is presumptive for biosurfactant production, 5 showed α-hemolysis and the remaining 5 exhibited γ-hemolysis. Majority of the isolates were positive for oil spread assay and blue agar test (19) indicating production of anionic biosurfactant. The isolates showed good emulsification activity; AGG3 (67.7%), AGG1 (62.3%), AGG2 (60%), AGG4 (60%), MTP2 (56%), AGC4 (54%) and the least emulsification value of 23.3% for strain AGP1. Most of the isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, perfloxacin and showed resistance to septrin and erythromycin. Conclusion, significance and impact of study This study showed that Mile 2 and Ologe Lagoon are a potential source of biosurfactant producers with diverse emulsification properties and prospective industrial applications. This would have implication for economic empowerment, as well as sustainable and environmentally friendly clean-up technology in both locally and globally.
Surface-Active Agents ; Nigeria

Though there is ambiguity in its medical definition, dry skin is a frequent skin problem of increasing importance these days. Generally "dry skin" denotes the status of skin showing erythema, roughness, scales, and itching resulted from low water content in the skin. Abnormalities in epidermal lipids, natural moisturizing factors, or corneocyte desquamation are regarded as important factors in its pathophysiology. It is not only accompanied with skin aging, but with various kinds of skin and systemic diseases(such as atopic dermatitis, ichthyosis, chronic renal failure, and diabetes mellitus). Important principles in the management or treatment of dry skin are preventing excessive washing and keeping moisture in the epidermis. For gentle cleansing, mild surfactants are better than the soap. Moisturizers are applied to the surface of skin to increase epidermal water content. Two different kinds of moisturizers are used as a mixture for the best result. Humectants are the material that draw water from the air or dermis. And emollients are the material that protects membrane by preventing water from evaporating from the epidermis. Though moisturizers are very helpful in management of dry skin, harmful result may happen by inadequate selection and wrong use.
Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dermis ; Emollients ; Epidermis ; Erythema ; Hygroscopic Agents ; Ichthyosis ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Membranes ; Pruritus ; Skin Aging ; Skin* ; Soaps ; Surface-Active Agents ; Water ; Weights and Measures

Aims: This study aims to produce Achromobacter biosurfactant in nutrient-rich and nutrient-limited media. Methodology and results: This study conducted fermentation on nutrient-rich and nutrient-limited media using a minimal salt medium (MSM). Dextrose and sodium citrate were used as sole carbon supplemented with 0.5% yeast extract for nutrient-rich media, while nutrient-limited media used molasses and rice straw hydrolysate (RSH) at variations of concentrations of 100 ppm and 200 ppm. The research was performed over 120 h and evaluated from growth response, surface tension and emulsification activity. The study revealed that the best surface tension value was when 2% (w/v) sodium citrate was used as C-source and 0.5% (w/v) yeast extract as N-source, after 72 h upon incubation at 30 °C/120 rpm having 45.45 ± 2.19 mN/m with emulsification activity 24.54 ± 3.42%. Whereas the best result of the nutrient-limited medium was obtained by RSH at a concentration of 200 ppm having 48.86 ± 5.36 mN/m. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The experiment showed that nutrient-limited medium from rice straw hydrolysate could compete with the nutrient-rich medium. The use of rice straw will contribute to the reduction of biosurfactant production costs and valorisation of agricultural waste.
Achromobacter denitrificans ; Surface-Active Agents

The morphological optimization of Trichoderma harzianum was carried out using several surfactants to achieve increased cellulase production. Addition of the surfactants to the culture medium successfully modified the fungal morphology from an aggregated form to a dispersed form. Optimization of the fungal morphology increased cellulase activity up to 177%. The morphologically optimized conditions enhanced the accessibility of the fungus to substrates and thus promoted cellulase production.
Cellulase ; Fungi ; Surface-Active Agents ; Trichoderma*

To effectively solve the serious impact of high oil in the kitchen wastewater on the downstream treatment process, an excellent oil-degrading strain Aeromonas allosaccarophila CY-01 was immobilized to prepare Chitosan-Aeromonas pellets (CH-CY01) by using chitosan as a carrier. Oil degradation condition and efficiency of CH-CY01 pellets were assessed. The growth of immobilized CH-CY01 was almost unaffected, and the maximum degradation rate of soybean oil was 89.7%. Especially at 0.5% NaCl concentration, oil degradation efficiency of CH-CY01 was increased by 20% compared with free cells. In the presence of a surfactant (sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate) at 1 mg/L, the degradation efficiency of oil by CH-CY01 was increased by 40%. Moreover, using the high-oil catering wastewater as the substrate, more than 80% of the solid oil was degraded with 1% (V/V) CH-CY01 pellets treatment for 7 days, significantly higher than that of free cells. In summary, immobilized CH-CY01 significantly improved the efficiency of oil degradation.
Aeromonas ; Chitosan ; Surface-Active Agents ; Waste Water

Aims: Rhamnolipids are seeking utmost attention as a new class of biosurfactants having promising potential in diverse fields as they offer a wide range of advantages over chemically synthesised surfactants. However, the high extraction costs make large scale production face difficulty. In present study, hydrocarbon degrading bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa UKMP14T was exploited for its biosurfactant producing ability including a comparative study between different extraction procedures for its recovery. In addition to this, the recovered biosurfactant was explored for its potential application as an antimicrobial agent. Methodology and results: The production of rhamnolipid biosurfactant was confirmed through various detection methods which are drop-collapse test, oil spreading assay, emulsification index, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) assay and hemolytic assay. The test strain P. aeruginosa UKMP14T showed positive results for all the detection assays. Following this, shake flask cultivation was carried out for several time intervals (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 days) to discover the optimum time for rhamnolipid biosurfactant production. The results were evaluated by quantifying the rhamnolipid yield using Anthrone method and maximum yield was obtained on day 7. Then, three commonly employed rhamnolipid biosurfactant extraction methods (acid precipitation, solvent extraction and zinc sulphate precipitation) were incorporated for the extraction of rhamnolipid biosurfactant. Among these methods, organic solvent extraction (using methanol, chloroform and acetone in 1:1:1 ratio) gave the highest yield (7.37 ± 0.81 g/L) of biosurfactant, followed by zinc sulphate precipitation (5.83 ± 0.02 g/L), whereas acid precipitation gave the lowest yield (2.8 ± 0.12 g/L) and required longer time (30 days). Finally, the antimicrobial activity of several concentrations of rhamnolipid was tested using modified microdilution method and highest antibacterial activity (in the form of percent reduction in growth) of 95.05% and 91.89% was recorded for Escherichia coli ATCC 10536 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 11632, respectively, at 100 µg/mL concentration of rhamnolipid biosurfactant. Conclusion, significance and impact of study The ability of P. aeruginosa UKMP14T in producing rhamnolipid biosurfactant was confirmed. Despite the higher yield obtained by organic solvent extraction method, the recovery technique (involving the separation of solvent system) caused some loss in product. In addition, the transfer and storage of rhamnolipid was challenging using solvent extraction in comparison to acid precipitation and zinc sulphate precipitation. On the other hand, recovery using acid precipitation suffered from lowest yield of rhamnolipid. Therefore, zinc sulphate precipitation is prioritised over the other two methods. Furthermore, the antimicrobial potential of rhamnolipid biosurfactant was tested successfully for as low as 10 µg/mL concentration against E. coli ATCC 10536 and S. aureus ATCC 11632. Therefore, the recovery cost of a high value product like rhamnolipid can be reduced by incorporating the results of this study in the downstream processing and promote rhamnolipid biosurfactant as a potential antimicrobial agent.
Glycolipids--biosynthesis ; Surface-Active Agents ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa

PURPOSE: This descriptive study was done to evaluate the attitude and practice of hand-washing by student nurses. METHOD: The subjects of the study were 463 senior and junior undergraduate student nurses and RN-BSN students. The questionnaire was developed by the researchers. Data were collected from Oct. 16 to Dec. 20. 2001. and analysed by SPSS/WIN. General characteristics, attitude and practice were analyzed by frequency and percentage and differences in attitude and practice according to grade and practice setting were analyzed with x2 test, t-test or ANOVA. RESULT: 1) The mean frequency of hand- washing was 6.63. Senior students washed more frequently than junior students. 2) The reasons for non-compliance were 'not being accustomed', 'forgetting', and 'not accessible' 3) The mean time for hand- washing was 23.79 sec., less than the stated appropriate time of 42.18 sec. 4) 90% of the students washed their hands 'after contacting excretions and contaminated items' and few washed 'before giving care to the client'. 5) Most students washed hands rotationally rubbing with soap and water. 6) While washing, they removed their rings more often than their watches. 7) Soap bar (52.8%) and paper towel (69.6%) were most frequently used as decontaminating agent and drying method, but detergent solution (74.2%) and paper towels (60%) were considered as the most appropriate agent and method. 8) Hand-washing was perceived important generally 'to protect from cross-infection', 'to protect one-self' and 'the most cost effective'. 9) All students responded nurses should practice 'hand-washing,'.
Detergents ; Hand Disinfection* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Soaps ; Students, Nursing