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The oral cavity is exposed to a variety of environmental insults. Salivary secretions play a critical role in maintaining oral health via innate host defense mechanisms and secretion of secretory IgA. Human β-defensins (hBD) are antimicrobial peptides that are a component of the innate immune response; they are expressed in epithelia and are proposed to have a role in mucosal defense. hBD-1 mRNA is constitutively expressed in numerous mucosal tissues, including human gingiva and submandibular and parotid glands. Our objective was to detect the expression and localization of hBD-1 peptide in human salivary glands and in saliva. Minor salivary gland tissue was obtained from biopsies of patients with mucoceles (n =20). hBD-1 peptide was detected by immunohistochemistry; expression was localized to the ductal cells and not the acinar cells of these glands. The peptide was located apically, toward the lumen in the duct cells. Further evaluation showed stronger hBD-1 expression in ducts with periductal inflammation, as indicated by the immunostaining of serial sections with anti-CD45 specific for B- and T-lymphocytes. Statistical analysis showed a strong correlation of hBD-1 staining and inflammation. Results of immunolocalization suggest that hBD-1 functions to protect salivary glands from retrograde infection, that expression of the peptide is enhanced in inflamed sites, and that post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms may be involved in hBD-l peptide expression. Western immunoblot analysis also detected hBD-1 peptide in unstimulated, whole, acidified saliva from normal volunteers. However, hBD-1 peptide associated with salivary mucin resulted in loss of the detection in a dot-immunoblot assay. Association of hBD-l with salivary mucin may facilitate peptide distribution and adherence to oral surfaces and aid its function within the oral cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspects of the manufacturing technology of two-component fabrics are considered in the light of statistical methods developed in Part I. Quite small design errors increase failure rates significantly; the nominal composition should always be based on actual analyses of intermediate and final products. Many textile fabrics, especially those containing blended staple-fibre yarns, will not conform consistently to a specified tolerance of ±3 percentage units when tested by the analysis of a single sample or garment; a tolerance of ±5 units is technically realistic for well-made fabrics. A ±3-unit tolerance can reasonably be met by a statement of the average composition of a production batch. It may therefore be concluded that the EEC Directives, in their mandatory specification of composition labelling, sampling, analytical methods, and tolerances, are unrealistic, since their requirements are not industrially achievable by many textile manufactures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation in the composition of a finished fabric is a summation of several identifiable independent factors. These may be combined by specially derived statistical methods to provide an estimate of likely within-batch and batch-to-batch variations. A detailed analysis of four typical fabrics indicates that, with the levels of variation attainable in good current manufacturing practice, single-sample testing with a statutory composition tolerance of ±3% must lead to a high failure rate, especially with fabrics composed of blended staple-fibre yarns. A small 'design error'--the difference between the grand mean of a production and the labelled fibre content--produces a notable increase in failure rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Merkel cells are a rare cell type located at or near the basal lamina of oral epithelia and epidermis. They are associated with nerves, and may function as touch receptors. Merkel cells are difficult to identify by routine light microscopy, but have been identified by electron microscopy and specific antibodies. We demonstrate here that Merkel cells can be identified by immunohistochemistry, using a monoclonal antibody (LK2HJ1J, Lloyd and Wilson, 1983) to neuroendocrine granules, and a monoclonal antibody (35PH11J, Gown and Vogel, 1982) to a 54-kD keratin generally located in simple epithelia but not in stratified epithelia. Human oral tissue was fixed in Carnoy's fixative, and adjacent serial sections were stained with the two antibodies. Individual positively-stained cells were generally located at the bases of rete ridges. Cells in the same position in adjacent sections stained with both antibodies. Essentially all cells (94%) staining for neuroendocrine granules also gave a positive reaction for the 54-kD keratin, evidence that a single Merkel cell contains neuroendocrine granules and the 54-kD keratin. Staining of epithelial sheets of human oral tissues revealed a linear distribution of Merkel cells along the bases of rete ridges. We conclude that antibodies to simple epithelial keratins and neuroendocrine granules maybe excellent immunohistochemical markers for Merkel cells, thus facilitating future studies to examine changes in Merkel cells and their distribution in pathologic conditions. The observation that Merkel cells can be stained with an antikeratin antibody strongly supports the epithelial origin of these cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opacity, C, of a textile fabric, white or plain-coloured, is defined as the ratio of the values of surface luminance, Y, when it is lying on a black and on a white background: C = Yblack/Ywhite. A simple and convenient method for measuring this quantity is described. The opacity of fabrics classified by end-use is recorded. The dependence of opacity on fabric colour has been shown to agree with expectations based on an approximate theory. The screening of net curtains has been found to depend, not on opacity as defined above, but on a function, TY² of the open area, T, and luminance, Y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of it direct-reading photometer capable of measuring the open areas in the structure of a textile fabric is described. The basis of the design is discussed, and experimental evidence advanced to demonstrate that the design requirements have been reasonably met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of quantitative research on the dyeing of viscose yarns. There are two requirements that must be met in the quantitative study of the dyeing process. These include the employment of suitable dyestuffs in a chemically pure state and the development of methods for determining the purity of these dyes. The study reveals that, while much work has been done on the physico-chemical nature of solutions of the dyestuffs, very little accurate quantitative work appears to have been done on the absorption of dyestuffs by cellulose. Moreover, treatment of viscose with caustic soda, prolonged heating, and degradation by acids affects the speed of dyeing, but not the equilibrium finally attained.

The article discusses the report on the factors that influence the flammability of textiles. It states that fabric flammability depends on the type of fiber, fabric and yarn, the weight of the fabric and the special finishes. It stressed that the vertical strip tests is intended for use of slow-burning fabric which are rated 100 and above while fabrics rated below 100 should be tested using the 45 degree method. It comments that the finishes on fabrics influences its flammability, giving nylon as an example. Nylon and terylene fabrics do not propagate fire while nylon stiffened with melamine resin becomes flammable.

The article focuses on the construction of a direct-reading photometer, an instrument used by several textile industries. Direct-reading photometer is an instrument used for measuring the structure of inter-yarn spaces of textile fabrics. Textile manufacturer would appreciate the machine because of its advantages such as suitable for heavy routine use and it measures accurately. In addition, the product has been widely used by manufacturers because it determine and control the open area of sieving fabrics.