Epstein-Barr virus BMRF-2 and BDLF-3 expression in hairy leukoplakia

Hairy leukoplakia (HL) is a lesion found on the side of the tongue of immunocompromised individuals, including those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The lesion has unique histopathologic features and is characterised by high-level Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication, multiple EBV strains, and extensive inter-and intra-strain recombination. Expression of EBV genes spanning the entire viral life cycle from latency-associated genes to late, replicative genes has been detected in the lesion. HL thus provides a unique opportunity to study EBV expression in oral epithelium, and to study expression of novel EBV genes. We therefore constructed a cDNA library from an HL biopsy and detected expression of two genes not previously described in vivo: BMRF-2 and BDLF-3. Sequence analysis of the cDNAs revealed few amino acid changes from the B95-8 sequence. Expression of both genes was localized to the lower prickle cell layer of the tongue epithelium. BMRF-2 protein expression was primarily detected in the cell nuclei of the upper prickle cell layer. BDLF-3 protein expression was observed in the perinuclear space and Golgi compartment. The function of these proteins is currently under investigation.     

Flexible casts used in making indirect interim restorations.

This article describes a procedure for making indirect interim restorations from a cast and dies made of polyvinyl siloxane impression material. The use of these flexible casts and dies facilitates the removal of the polymerized resin from the cast and the rapid set of the polyvinyl materials reduces the time involved in making the indirect interim restorations.     

The power of children over adults when obtaining sweet snacks

Summary. Background. There is evidence to suggest that the family is becoming a more democratic unit and that children are spending more on sweet snack items than ever before. A study was thus undertaken to investigate the influence of children on parental decision‐making in relation to the use of sugary snacks. Methods. A cross sectional interview study; children aged 7–8 years from 20 inner‐city Manchester primary schools were asked about their sweet eating, their pocket money and their perceived levels of influence or autonomy within the household. The parents of these children were also asked to fill in a questionnaire that mirrored the children's questions. Results. There was a moderate but significant correlation between the opinion of the parents and that of the children on the extent of influence (Pearson coefficient r = 0·25, P = 0·001). When the adults (n = 181) were split into age groups, ≤ 29 years (n = 33), 30–35 years (n = 61) and ≥ 36 years (n = 87), the study showed that the older the adult, the less the child seemed to get his or her own way. Spearman's rho = 0·16, P = 0·03 (children's view) and rho = 0·17, P = 0·02 (adult's view). The dominant factors were related to money in the children's opinion, although the adults’ data suggested that older mothers (≥ 36 years) may be trying to limit their children's access to sweet snacks. Conclusions. Adults’ efforts to limit their children's intake of sweet snacks and drinks are being undermined by earlier and earlier influences in the child's life and by access to money, which allows the child to out‐manoeuvre his or her parents. This is compounded by the provision of additional income, mostly from grandparents.     

Bone tissue interface

High resolution microradiography and multiple fluorochrome labeling are definitive histological methods for assessing the mechanism and timing of osseous healing, maturation, and adaptation. Two fundamental types of bone interface have been described for endosseous dental implants: (1) fibro-osseous integration ("pseudo-periodontal ligament") and (2) rigid osseous fixation ("osseointegration"). No definitive bone interface studies with modern physiological methods have been reported for fibro-osseous integration. Rigid osseous fixation has been investigated in cortical bone implantation sites. The initial healing reaction involves predominantly bone modeling at the periosteal and endosteal surfaces, i.e., a woven bone callus fills with lamellae by the process of lamellar compaction. Nonvital osseous interface and adjacent compacta are replaced by bone remodeling (turnover). As assessed with high resolution microradiography, "clinically successful" specimens had less than half of the intraosseous interface in direct contact with bone. Extrapolation from animal data suggests that endosseous implants can be provisionally loaded at about 18 weeks, but full maturation of the interface requires approximately one year.     

Isolation and characterization of 11 microsatellite loci in the short-range endemic shrub Grevillea georgeana McGill (Proteaceae)

We developed 11 nuclear microsatellite markers for the rare and poorly known, Western Australian species Grevillea georgeana. This species is restricted to banded iron formations (BIFs) located 500 km north-east of Perth, Western Australia. G. georgeana is part of a broader study looking at phylogeographic patterns present in short-range BIF endemics of this region. A total of nine trinucleotide, one tetranucleotide and one pentanucleotide repeat loci were developed and tested on 24 individuals from one population. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to seven and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.095 to 0.792. Null alleles were estimated to occur at two loci.