Abstract: A dental hygiene article, including a dental floss, and a microcapsule associated with a portion of the floss. The microcapsule includes a pigment encapsulated within the microcapsule for changing the color of a portion of the floss associated with the microcapsule upon rupture of the microcapsule as an indication of use or release of an active agent.

Abstract: A dental hygiene article including a notched filament. The dental hygiene article can be a dental floss, or an oral brush (e.g., an electronic toothbrush, a manual toothbrush, or an interdental brush).

Abstract: A dental hygiene article, including a dental floss, and a microcapsule associated with a portion of the floss. The microcapsule includes a pigment encapsulated within the microcapsule for changing the color of a portion of the floss associated with the microcapsule upon rupture of the microcapsule as an indication of use or release of an active agent.

Abstract: A dental hygiene article that includes a dental floss, a first component associated with the floss, a second component associated with the floss, and a first barrier constructed to separate the first component from the second component until flossing occurs. The first and the second components are selected to react with each other when the first and the second components are combined, e.g., in the mouth during flossing.

Abstract: The present invention describes methods for screening or selecting novel proteolytic enzymes. These enzymatic functions can be selected from isolated chromosomal DNA libraries or from pools of mutagenized DNA encoding a proteolytic function. In particular, the selection method of the present invention, a phage gene is chosen that encodes a gene product necessary for the production of a phage. The phage carrying the modified gene is introduced into a host. Also, DNA libraries present within a cloning vector are introduced into host cells. The host cells are grown under conditions where the introduced libraries are expressed in the host cells. The presence of an enzymatic function capable of cleaving the target peptide is identified on the basis of production of infective phage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to DNA sequences useful in directing low to moderate expression of proteins in E. coli. The sequences are on based on modification of the repressor binding site of the tetA gene of transposon Tn10.