Demonstration of Bartonella grahamii DNA in ocular fluids of a patient with neuroretinitis

We describe the clinical and laboratory features of a 55-year-old human immunodeficiency virus-negative female patient who presented with bilateral intraocular inflammatory disease (neuroretinitis type) and behavioral changes caused by a Bartonella grahamii infection. Diagnosis was based on the PCR analysis of DNA extracted from the intraocular fluids. DNA analysis of the PCR product revealed a 100% identity with the 16S rRNA gene sequence of B. grahamii. The patient was successfully treated with doxycycline (200 mg/day) and rifampin (600 mg/day) for 4 weeks. This is the first report that demonstrates the presence of a Bartonella species in the intraocular fluids of a nonimmunocompromised patient and that indicates that B. grahamii is pathogenic for humans.     

Spatio-temporal distribution of naturally occurring Bacillus spp. and other bacteria on the phylloplane of soybean under field conditions

Bacterial populations were surveyed on phylloplane of field-grown soybean every 20 days in southern Buenos Aires, Argentina. The crop was disease-free and no pesticides were applied. Out of 523 bacterial isolates (mainly Gram positive bacteria) from upper and lower leaves, 134 of them were Bacillus spp. Bacillus pumilus was the dominant species followed by Bacillus subtilis. The proportion of Bacillus spp. decreased from 80% of all bacterial isolates in early stages to 0% at harvest, whereas the diversity of Bacillus spp. decreased from nine species at day 45, to one species at day 133, shortly before harvest. Among the isolates, a significant increase in the percentage of nitrifiers with plant aging was observed on lower and upper trifoliates. In contrast, proteolytic bacteria were more abundant on lower than on upper trifoliates at all sampling dates. The consistent recovery of B. pumilus from soybean phylloplane during most of the crop cycle indicated this species as an interesting candidate for future plant microbial management and biocontrol studies.     

Reproducible marginal gap measurements of partial ceramic crowns

Aim of this research was to test the hypothesis that marginal gap measurements by a digital microscopic image processing computer are reproducible. Light microscopic images of the margins of Artglass partial crowns on stone dies were obtained with a 3CCD color video camera, digitized and processed. Ten measuring points were painted on a 0.5 mm section of the finish line of the preparation. The opposite corresponding measuring points on the margin of the partial crown were painted as well. The distance (marginal gap) between two corresponding points was painted and calculated by the computer. Reproducibility (precision) is reflected in the ability to reproduce the same measurement results in repeated measurements (n = 5). The reproducibility error was expressed as the coefficient of variation (CV) in percent (%). The localization of the corresponding measurement points and the calculation of the marginal gap were performed without errors. For a marginal gap between 15-50 microns the average measurement error was 3% or 0.45-1.5 microns. It was concluded that the measurement of the gap between two points by the digital image processing computer was reproducible. The measurement error was neglectable given that a clinically acceptable marginal gap is 100 microns.     

Smoking and oral diseases

There are various oral diseases related to tobacco habits. In the majority of these diseases there is a dose-response relationship. This is particularly true for premalignant lesions, such as leukoplakia, and squamous cell carcinoma. Patients should be informed about the deleterious effects of tobacco on the oral tissues. At the same time the patient should know that cessation of the tobacco habits does eliminate the increased risk of developing oral precancer and cancer within a reasonable period of time.     

Five year survival of posterior adhesive bridges. Influence of bonding systems and tooth preparation

The present study reports the final analysis of a randomized controlled clinical trial in which different designs of posterior resin-bonded bridges were evaluated for a period of at least 5 years. The operational hypothesis was that the bonding system and the preparation design used in posterior resin-bonded bridges have an influence on the survival and clinical functioning of these restorations. Survival in this study was defined at two levels: (1) 'primary' survival (survival without any debonding), and (2) 'functional' survival (survival including loss of retention on one occasion and successful rebonding of the original resin-bonded bridge without further debonding). Preparation of grooves in abutment teeth for posterior resin-bonded bridges appeared to be beneficial to their chance of survival. Resin-bonded bridges placed in the maxilla have a better prognosis than those made in the mandible. The bonding systems used in this study (etching/Clearfil F2, sand blasting/Panavia EX and silica-coating/Microfill Pontic C) appear to have no influence on the chance of failure with regards to the 'primary' survival. In rebonded posterior resin-bonded bridges, the bonding system silica coating/Microfill Pontic C was more retentive than the other systems tested.     

Relationship between memory strategies and motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease

Patients with Parkinson's disease(PD) show a serious decrease in performance on tasks which lack explicit guidelines and which necessitate the subject to develop his or her own strategy. Using the California Verbal Learning Task(CVLT) we have found evidence that this phenomenon becomes also manifest in learning and memory. The goal of the present study on PD was to investigate whether or not there is an intrinsic relationship between PD-specific deviant learning characteristics and the severity of motor symptomatology. The results show, as expected, a significant correlation between the severity of bradykinetic/hypokinetic symptoms and the serial clustering gradient of the CVLT: the more bradykinetic PD patients (n = 48) were, the more they were dependent on the externally guided serial learning strategy. The findings are discussed in the context of our hypothesis that the actual deficit in patients with PD is a deficient processing of ambiguous internal cues.