The effectiveness of conically shaped compared with cylindrically shaped interdental brushes - a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of conically shaped versus cylindrically shaped interdental brushes (IDB) in patients receiving supportive periodontal therapy.

Materials And Methods: Periodontal maintenance patients volunteered to be enrolled into this randomized controlled examiner-blind parallel study. At baseline and after 3 months, plaque scores, bleeding upon pocket probing scores and probing pocket depth (PPD) were assessed.

Failure to wean caused by cryptogenic fibrosing pleuritis and bilateral lung trapping: case report.

Background And Objectives: Cryptogenic fibrosing pleuritis is an extremely rare disease, which can affect both lungs from a very young age. The most common finding is severe lung restriction resulting in both hypoxemic and ventilatory failure.

Case Report: Male patient, 26 year old with acute deterioration of chronic respiratory failure.

Epidermal growth factor contains both positive and negative determinants for interaction with ErbB-2/ErbB-3 heterodimers.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha are potent activators of the ErbB-1 receptor, but, unlike TGF-alpha, EGF is also a weak activator of ErbB-2/ErbB-3 heterodimers. To understand the specificity of EGF-like growth factors for binding to distinct ErbB members, we used EGF/TGF-alpha chimeras to examine the requirements for ErbB-2/ErbB-3 activation. Here we show that in contrast to these two wild-type ligands, distinct EGF/TGF-alpha chimeras are potent activators of ErbB-2/ErbB-3 heterodimers.

DC-STAMP, a novel multimembrane-spanning molecule preferentially expressed by dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DC) are unique in their ability to present antigen to naive T cells, and therefore play a central role in the initiation of immune responses. Characterization of DC-specific genes may help to unravel the mechanism underlying their potent antigen presenting capacity. Here we describe the identification of a novel transcript, isolated by random sequencing of a cDNA library prepared from monocyte-derived DC, which we termed DC-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP).