The effect of glaze on restorative glass-ionomer cements: evaluation of environmental durability in lactic acid solution

summary The surface texture changes of three kinds of glass-ionomer cements were compared with glazed and polished cement surfaces after thermal cycling in a storage media [lactic acid solution (pH 4.0)]. The changes were measured with regard to the surface roughness, colour-change, gloss, hardness, toothbrush wear, and SEM (scanning electron microscope) observation in the laboratory. The glazed cement surface was not affected after thermal cycling in the lactic acid solution.     

Clinicopathological studies of minimal thyroid and oridinary thyroid cancers

Clinicopathological studies were carried out on 27 patients with minimal thyroid cancer and 56 with ordinary thyroid cancer at Kanazawa University, from April, 1979 to December, 1982. There was a significant difference in the rate of preoperative diagnosis between the minimal and the ordinary cancer groups. Subtotal thyroidectomy with modified neck dissection was usually performed in both groups. The histological types in minimal cancer group included 16 papillary carcinomas, 7 nonencapsulated sclerosing carcinomas, one follicular carcinoma, one anaplastic carcinoma with squamous cell metaplasia and two multiple mixed carcinomas. There was no significant difference in the rates of intrathyroidal and lymph node metastases between the two groups. While the metastatic lesions of sclerosing carcinoma were localized to the central cervical lymph nodes, the ordinary cancer in general and the papillary variant of minimal cancer metastasized not only to the central cervical lymph nodes but also to the ipsilateral and even to the contralateral jugular lymph nodes.     

Immunohistochemical study of the kidneys after severe muscular injury

Severe muscular injury sometimes causes renal failure, and myoglobin in skeletal muscle is known to induce toxic free oxygen radicals in the kidneys. The relationship between the immunohistochemical expression of myoglobin and the scavenger copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) was investigated in kidneys taken from two autopsy groups, a group with tourniquet shock (n = 4), and a group with severely injured skeletal muscle (n = 18). Paraffin-embedded kidney sections were used for immunohistochemical staining by the avidin-biotin-complex (ABC) method using antibodies against myoglobin and Cu/Zn-SOD. Detection of the two antigens was analyzed qualitatively. In most cases of tourniquet shock in which the survival time was considered to be relatively long, myoglobin staining was positive and Cu/Zn-SOD was negative. Among the seven cases of severely injured skeletal muscle in which the survival period was considered to be relatively short, positive staining was detected immunohistochemically for both myoglobin and Cu/Zn-SOD. Moreover, in most of the cases in this group that showed acute tubular necrosis, immunohistochemical staining was negative for both markers, whereas positive staining was found for most of the cases in which the kidneys were revealed to be normal by HE staining. These findings suggest that when myoglobin enters the kidneys via the circulation, Cu/Zn-SOD reacts to eliminate free radicals, but is depleted by consumption in the long run, and that there might be a relationship between these histological findings and immunohistochemical expression. Received: 2 December 1999 / Accepted: 22 May 2000     

A Case of Non-Alcoholic Pancreatitis Treated with Steroid Followed-up Using Intraductal Ultrasonography and Endoscopic Retrograde Pancreatography

A 42-year-old man with jaundice was found to have a pancreatic mass in the head by ultrasonography. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) showed a segmental narrowing of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) with a mild upstream dilatation and an extrinsic stenosis of the inferior common bile duct (CBD). lntraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) showed a diffuse hypoechoic area with echogenic spots surrounding the narrowed MPD and the stenotic CBD. He was suspected of having autoimmune pancreatitis because of a characteristic pancreatogram, and 30 mg/day predniso-lone was started. Two weeks later, the narrowing of the MPD and the stenosis of the CBD improved dramatically. But the hypoechoic area remained separate from the MPD with a fine reticular pattern on the inside. It completely disappeared in the eighth week. The diachronic changes in the IDUS were characteristic in that the hypoechoic area, which initially surrounded the MPD, disappeared near the MPD, followed by a distant area. This might explain the discrepancy between the images of ERCP and IDUS in the second week of steroid therapy.     

氨基端不同二级结构的丙型肝炎病毒NS3/4A 复合体的丝氨酸酶活性差异研究

目的 探讨表达不同氨基端二级结构的丙型肝炎病毒非结构蛋白3/4A(HCV NS3/4A)各亚型丝氨酸酶活性及其对宿主细胞功能抑制作用的差异.方法 以pSG5/M-H05-5/4A为模板(A1-1),构建表达不同氨基端二级结构NS3/4A的点突变质粒,并分别命名为A1-2,A2-1,A2.2,B1-1,B1-2,B2-1,B2-2.Western印迹检测所有构建质粒的表达及各亚型顺式及反式NS3蛋白酶活性的差异.荧光素酶报告试验检测pSG5/M-H05-5/4A各个二级结构亚型对干扰素-β(IFN-β)产生及p53依赖的荧光素酶基因的转录活性的抑制作用以及各亚型之间抑制作用的差异.结果 Western印迹显示所有构建质粒均成功表达,而且A2-1和B2-1亚型NS3/4A存在不完全切割现象.表明与其他亚型相比,A2-1和B2-1顺式NS3丝氨酸蛋白酶活性较弱.与其底物NS5A/5BAC共表达后,A2-1和B2-1亚型未切割NS5A5B明显多于其他亚型,而切割 NS5A 则明显少于其他亚型.说明与其他亚型相比,A2-1和B2-1 亚型的反式NS3蛋白酶活性亦较弱.荧光素酶试验结果显示,所有亚型M-H05-5/4A均显著抑制IFN-β启动子活性(P＜0.01)和p53依赖的荧光素酶基因的转录活性(P＜0.01),A2-1和B2-1亚型的抑制作用显著弱于其他亚型(P＜0.05).结论 氨基端不同二级结构的HCV NS3/4A复合体具有不同的丝氨酸酶活性和宿主细胞功能抑制作用.     

Use of a Mattress Suture to Eliminate Dog Ears in Double-Stapled and Triple-Stapled Anastomoses

Double-stapling techniques for restorative rectal resection have been effective in minimizing local contamination compared with open circular stapling techniques. Inclusion of the transverse staple line closure of the distal rectal stump in the circular stapled anastomosis may minimize the risk of suture line recurrence. A technique for formation of such an anastomosis is described that avoids use of a distal purse string.     

Treatment and Posttreatment Effects of Fluoride Mouthrinsing after 17 Years

Objectives: This study assessed the treatment and posttreatment effects of a school-based, fluoride mouthrinse regimen. Methods : Children in a nonfluoridated community in Japan participated in a daily rinse program using a 0.05 percent NaF solution in nursery and primary schools, and a weekly rinse with 0.2 percent NaF in junior high school. Students were examined at least annually for dental caries and dental treatment was provided in a public dental clinic through the ninth grade. Incipient carious lesions with no cavitation were not restored. Results : The percent of children in grades one through nine (6–14 years of age) with caries-free permanent teeth increased from 13.4 percent in 1974 to 73.0 percent in 1991, while the mean DMFT decreased by 86 percent during this period. For 12-year-olds, mean DMFT scores declined to about one tooth per child after 1982. For adults 20 years of age, there was a 64 percent difference in DMFS between the treatment group who started the rinse regimen at 4 years of age and continued for 11 years, and the controls who lived in different districts and did not participate in a fluoride rinse regimen. Conclusions : Children who began rinsing at 4 or 5 years of age benefited the most from the program. The program was inexpensive, simple to implement and well accepted by families and teachers. The conservative treatment policy in the public clinic likely contributed to the benefits derived by participants.