DNA recovery and human identification from semen stains washed at different temperatures

International Journal of Legal Medicine - One of the most important pieces of evidence to find the suspect of a sexual assault are semen stains. It has been observed that suspects do not use...     

Temperature rise and shear bond strength of bondable buccal tubes bonded by various light sources

The objective of the present investigation was to determine the intrapulpal temperature changes and to compare the shear bond strength (SBS) of bondable buccal tubes bonded by high-intensity light sources. Ninety caries-free human first molar teeth extracted for periodontal reasons were used. For the temperature measurement test, 30 teeth were randomly divided into three groups (n = 10) whereas 60 teeth were used in three groups (n = 20) for SBS testing. Three light sources, high-intensity halogen, blue light-emitting diode (LED), and xenon plasma arc (PAC), were used for polymerization of Transbond XT. Temperature variations (Delta T) were recorded by a K-type thermocouple wire connected to a data logger. For SBS testing, a universal testing machine was used at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/minute until buccal tube bonding failure occurred. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The high-intensity halogen light resulted in significantly (P < 0.01) higher intrapulpal temperature changes than the LED or PAC. The results of the shear bond test revealed significant (P < 0.05) differences only between the halogen and LED groups. The findings of the present investigation showed that high-intensity curing devices can safely be used in bonding buccal tubes to molar teeth without causing a deleterious effect on the dental pulp.     

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with low dose weekly gemcitabine in medically inoperable muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients

Purpose

We aimed to determine the efficacy and the toxicity of low dose weekly gemcitabine with radiation therapy in medically unfit muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients.

Methods

Twenty-six patients were included into the retrospective analysis. Weekly gemcitabine was administered 75 mg/m² with a median dose of 63 Gy radiation therapy. Clinical target volume was defined as the urinary bladder only in conformal treatment planning.

Results

Median follow-up was 51 months (range 14–118 months). Complete response rate was 62.5 %. The 5-year local progression-free survival, disease-specific survival and overall survival rates were 40.6, 59.5 and 58.5 %, respectively. Concurrent chemotherapy was continued in 80.7 % of patients without any interruption. Gemcitabine was stopped due to grade 3 thrombocytopenia (n = 1), cardiac angina (n = 1), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation (n = 1) or patients’ reluctance (n = 2).

Conclusions

Low dose weekly gemcitabine with concurrent radiotherapy is a tolerable regimen and have comparable outcomes with platinum-based combined treatments in muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Prospective randomized trials can help in understanding the safety and efficacy of this treatment specially in medically unfit patients.     

Removal of Fluoride from Contaminated Ground Water Using Raw and Modified Bauxite

Endemic fluorosis affects millions of people worldwide. Fluorosis arises from the consumption of fluorine (F) contaminated water and was observed also in some parts of Turkey with volcanic rocks and geothermal resources. In the present study the removal of F from drinking water by raw and modified bauxite at the laboratory scale was investigated using a batch mode. Modified bauxite was prepared by using Na and Mg incorporated (B–Na, B–Mg) bauxite and calcination of Mg incorporated bauxite at 500°C (B–Mg-500). The equilibration time for F between bauxite and water was identified to be 3 h. Adsorption of F increased with increasing adsorbent dose. Moreover, F adsorption isotherms fitted well with the Freundlich model. Low F adsorption was obtained onto the raw and incorporated bauxite. In contrast, maximum F adsorption was found for B–Mg-500, with K_f value of 0.247. This observation may be explained by the meaningfully stabilized and elevated number of positively charged sites in B–Mg-500.     

Identification of an Alu-mediated 12.2-kb deletion of the complete LPAR6 (P2RY5) gene in a Turkish family with hypotrichosis and woolly hair

Hypotrichosis is a rare form of progressive hair loss characterized by sparse and occasionally woolly hair that is curly and breaks easily. Disease-causing mutations in LIPH, LPAR6 and KRT74 have recently been identified. We describe a four-generation pedigree from Turkey following an autosomal recessive pattern, in which the four affected members had hypotrichosis and woolly hair. By sequencing LPAR6 and the use of SNP arrays, we revealed a homozygous loss of the entire LPAR6 gene in the affected individuals. We hypothesize that the 12-kb deletion resulted from illegitimate recombination secondary to slip-replication. The orientation of three Alu repeats around LPAR6 may have provoked the formation of a 'triple-barrel' structure during replication, thereby allowing strand slipping. This first report of complete LPAR6 loss expands the spectrum of known LPAR6 mutations and suggests a novel mechanism for this gene and for the formation of DNA rearrangements in general.     

Psoas abscess secondary to tuberculous lymphadenopathy: case report

Tuberculous psoas abscesses, a well-known sequel of tuberculous spondylitis, very rarely develop without concomitant spinal involvement. We report a unique case where a psoas abscess was secondary to retroperitoneal tuberculous lymphadenopathy in a 13-year-old boy who had no demonstrable findings of spinal tuberculosis. Computed tomography showed an obvious communication between the necrotic and calcified retroperitoneal lymph node and the psoas abscess. To the best of our knowledge, fistulization of tuberculous lymph nodes into the psoas sheath has not been reported in the English-language literature. Received: 4 August 2000/Accepted: 6 September 2000     

Frontal sinus mucocele: A rare complication of craniofacial fibrous dysplasia

We present plain radiographic, computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a 25-year-old female patient with craniofacial fibrous dysplasia (FD). Although FD has a tendency to involve craniofacial bones in a unilateral fashion, the involvement was bilateral and extensive in this case. An additional feature was the presence of a frontal sinus mucocele, presumably due to the involvement of the sinus recess by the dysplastic process. This complication of the craniofacial FD has been reported very infrequently in the literature.     

Rapidly developing giant sized lupus vulgaris on the chest associated with bilateral scrofuloderma on the neck

Lupus vulgaris and scrofuloderma are the opposite poles of cutaneous tuberculosis. Lupus vulgaris of a giant size and scrofuloderma in the vicinity of this lesion were both present in a 70-year-old female patient. The purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) skin test was strongly positive. In histopathological examination, granulomatous infiltration without caseation necrosis was seen in the dermis. The patient was treated with a four-drug therapy consisting of pyrazinamide (25 mg/kg), isoniazid (5 mg/kg), rifampin (10 mg/kg) and ethambutol (15 mg/kg) daily for 2 months, followed by dual therapy with isoniazid and rifampin for 6 months. Her cutaneous lesions significantly regressed after 4 months, leaving keloid scars.