Periapical radiographic techniques during endodontic diagnosis and treatment

The objective of this article is to describe various radiographic projections which can be used during endodontic therapy. Changes to the angulation of the X-ray beam in relation to the teeth and film can help diagnosis and treatment by producing images which provide additional information not always visible on radiographs taken with standard angulations. For example, changes in angulation can be useful to determine the number and curvature of roots and canals, to identify superimposed roots and to distinguish between anatomical landmarks and apical pathology. Although use of such techniques increases the diagnostic yield of films, it must be appreciated that such views lead to images that are less distinct because of inherent image distortion. Nevertheless, use of the various techniques during endodontics can provide substantial benefit for clinicians in their daily practice.     

Synthesis of cyclic tryptathionine peptides

The helicity of the tryptathionine moiety of the phallotoxins has been recognized by comparison with cyclic tryptathionine tripeptides. In order to investigate the influence of the configuration of the component amino acids on the conformation of the cyclic peptides, six analogue thioether tripeptides containing L- and D-alanine and L- and D-cysteine, respectively, have been synthesized. The CD spectra of the peptides are very similar to each other, showing mirror images of the CD of phalloidin and, therefore, negative helicity. The spectra of the D-cysteine containing compounds differ from the L-cysteine containing compounds by their weakly positive ellipticity values around 270 nm. The cyclization reaction of Boc-Hpi-D-Ala-D-Cys(STrt)OCH₃, along with the cyclic tripeptide, afforded a cyclic hexapeptide by dimerization. The CD spectrum of the dimer is very similar to that of phalloidin, thus pointing to a positive helicity of its two tryptathionine moieties. The dimeric thioether peptide forms a rather strong complex with Cu²⁺ ions.     

拉米夫定阻断乙型肝炎病毒宫内传播的临床探讨

【目的】研究拉米夫定对HBsAg阳性孕妇的乙肝病毒 (HBV)宫内阻断作用。【方法】拉米夫定组 43例 ,孕 2 8周起口服拉米夫定 ,每天 10 0mg至产后 30d。对照组 5 2例 ,未予用药。两组孕妇均于孕 2 8周、分娩前 ,其新生儿于生后 2 4h内免疫接种前抽静脉血检测HBsAg、HBeAg及HBV的定量。【结果】拉米夫定组孕妇HBV的DNA水平显著下降 (P <0 0 5 ) ,其新生儿宫内感染率 (16 3% )明显低于对照组 (32 7% ) ,P <0 0 5。两组孕妇及其新生儿未发现有不良反应。【结论】携带HBV孕妇产前服用拉米夫定可有效减少HBV宫内感染发生率。     

Estimating neuron dendritic length in 3D from total vertical projections and from vertical slices

The recently developed method of total vertical projections is illustrated to estimate the total dendritic length of a human Substantia Nigra neuron. Next, the length of the different orders of dendritic branches, and the mean segment length for each order - commonly regarded as important parameters in neuron physiology - are also estimated. Finally, it is shown how to estimate the mean dendritic length in a population of neurons from vertical slices of arbitrary and unknown thickness. Being unbiased and highly efficient, the proposed methods offer interesting alternatives to current procedures used for the metric analysis of neuron arborizations.     

Does ageing have an effect on midbrain premotor nuclei for vertical eye movements?

Currently, there is debate in the clinical literature as to whether defects in vertical gaze are a consequence of normal ageing or a component of an underlying neurodegenerative disorder. Although pathological changes have been demonstrated in diseased subjects, no study to date has addressed the question of normal ageing effects. In this retrospective study, we examined 23 neurologically and pathologically normal subjects (age 18-91). Using an unbiased, frame-based sampling method, we quantified neuronal and glial cell densities in 10 young (<50) and 13 aged (>65) subjects in the rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fasciculus (riMLF), the key premotor substrate in the vertical gaze pathway. We found no statistically significant difference in neuronal density, glial cell density, or neuron-to-glial cell ratios between the young and the aged. We conclude, therefore, that neuronal loss, neuronal atrophy, or gliosis in the riMLF are not consequences of normal ageing.     

慢性HBV感染患者精子中HBVDNA存在研究的初步报告

用Southern Blot方法,我们研究了13份慢性HBV感染患者(8份慢迁旰,5份慢活肝)和2份对照精液标本中HBV DNA存在状况。提取物一半用限制酶HindⅢ消化,各行琼脂电泳,转移到纤维膜上,然后用~(32)P—HBV—DNA探针分子杂交。在4份精子內检出HBV DNA,3份为游离形式,1份为整合形式。结果表明HBV DNA可以存在精于内,游离状态HBV DNA提示有传染性、整合序列HBV DNA的存在提示有通过生殖细胞遗传的可能。     

Congenital infection with human herpesvirus 6 variant B associated with neonatal seizures and poor neurological outcome

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV 6) has neurotropic and neuroinvasive properties. The virus has been found in the cerebrospinal fluid of many children with aseptic meningoencephalitis. Intrauterine transmission has been documented by HHV 6 DNA detection in cord blood specimens of apparently healthy newborns and in fetuses following spontaneous abortions. A patient is described with early neonatal afebrile seizures resulting from a congenital HHV 6 variant B infection disclosed by repeated detection of viral genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in cerebrospinal fluid in the first days of life. At follow-up, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies disclosed hyperintensities in the periventricular white matter and basal ganglia, associated with cerebral atrophy. Further follow-up at 18 months revealed poor neurological outcome with mild neurodevelopmental retardation, strabismus and hypertonia of legs. This report provides evidence of neurological involvement after HHV 6 vertical transmission, and the association with neurological sequelae.     

New multiple congenital anomalies: Mental retardation syndrome (MCA/MR) with facio-cutaneous-skeletal involvement

Five unrelated patients (a male and 4 females) were affected with a previously undefined multiple congenital anomalies/mental retardation syndrome which has been designated the facio-cutaneous-skeletal (FCS) syndrome and which includes mental retardation with specific sociable, humorous behavior, characteristic facial appearance, excessive generalized skin, postnatal growth failure, and skeletal involvement. Consanguinity was noted in 2 patients, thus autosomal recessive inheritance is suggested. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Relative contribution of vertical,within-farm and between-farm transmission of Mycoplasma synoviae in layer pullet flocks

ABSTRACT

In this study, the relative contribution of vertical transmission, within-farm transmission and between-farm transmission of Mycoplasma synoviae in layer pullet flocks was quantified using logistic regression analysis. Data from 311 Dutch pullet flocks, of which 172 (55%) were positive for M. synoviae, were included in the study. Also the M. synoviae status of the parent stock of these flocks was included. The M. synoviae status was determined with the M. synoviae rapid plate agglutination test. Data analysis showed that vertical transmission was the most important transmission route for M. synoviae in layers as is demonstrated by an odds ratio of 5.8 (P?=?0.000). A positive association with M. synoviae infections was found for layer pullet flocks on a multi-house farm where at least one other flock was M. synoviae-positive compared to single-house farms (odds ratio 3.1, P?=?0.022), while a negative association was found when no other M. synoviae-positive flocks were present (odds ratio?=?0.2, P?=?0.003). No association was found between M. synoviae status of pullet flocks and poultry farm density. Odds ratios were 0.54 (P?=?0.288) and 0.34 (P?=?0.073), respectively, for medium and highest poultry farm density compared to lowest poultry farm density. This is the first time that the relative contribution of horizontal and vertical transmission of M. synoviae has been quantified. These results can be extrapolated to M. synoviae control in general, and emphasize the importance of M. synoviae control in parent stock and practical channelling.     

Cortical projections arising from the basal forebrain: a study of cholinergic and noncholinergic components employing combined retrograde tracing and immunohistochemical localization of choline acetyltransferase

The neurochemical identity of ascending putative cholinergic pathways from the rat basal forebrain was investigated employing a method for simultaneously visualizing choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity and retrogradely transported horseradish peroxidase-conjugated wheatgerm agglutinin. This histochemical procedure revealed three distinct populations of neurons: (1) cells which stained only for choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity; (2) cells which stained only for retrograde tracer and (3) cells which stained simultaneously for choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity and retrograde tracer. The results demonstrated that this projection is topographically organized and consists of both cholinergic and noncholinergic components. The relative contribution of each component varied with the telencephalic target area as follows: the olfactory bulb receives a projection from cells of the horizontal limb nucleus, 10-20% of which are cholinergic (Ch3); the hippocampal formation receives afferents from cells of the medial septal and vertical limb nuclei, 35-45% of which are cholinergic (Ch1 and Ch2); and the cortical mantle receives afferents primarily from cells within the substantia innominata-nucleus basalis complex, 80-90% of which are cholinergic (Ch4). The topographical organization of Ch4 projections is not as completely differentiated as we have previously observed in the primate.