Reconstruction of the frontal calvarian continuity in a child using a freeze-preserved autogenous bone graft.

Today, extended craniofacial defects in childhood can be treated by using modern techniques of bone banking and osteosynthesis, of particular importance when the restoration needs to consider calvarial growth. This is a report of an 8-year-old boy whose right frontal bone was removed during primary multidisciplinary trauma care. The bone was stored at a tissue bank using sterilization and freeze-dried preservation.

PAF- and bradykinin-induced hyperpermeability of rat venules is independent of actin-myosin contraction.

We tested the hypothesis that acutely induced hyperpermeability is dependent on actin-myosin contractility by using individually perfused mesentery venules of pentobarbital-anesthetized rats. Venule hydraulic conductivity (Lp) was measured to monitor hyperpermeability response to the platelet-activating factor (PAF) 1-O-hexadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine or bradykinin. Perfusion with PAF (10 nM) induced a robust transient high Lp [24.

Combined transabdominal and transjugular recanalization of thrombosed TIPS, portal and proximal splenic veins.

We present a case of TIPS occlusion in which a small caliber transhepatic safety or anchoring wire in combination with a standard transjugular approach were utilized to recanalize the TIPS, portal and splenic veins. This technique may be a useful adjunct to the typical methods used for recanalization of thrombosed TIPS, portal and splenic veins without the need of large caliber transhepatic sheath access.

Genome-based identification of cancer genes by proviral tagging in mouse retrovirus-induced T-cell lymphomas.

The identification of tumor-inducing genes is a driving force for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer. Many retroviruses induce tumors by insertion of viral DNA adjacent to cellular oncogenes, resulting in altered expression and/or structure of the encoded proteins. The availability of the mouse genome sequence now allows analysis of retroviral common integration sites in murine tumors to be used as a genetic screen for identification of large numbers of candidate cancer genes.

FE-simulation of bone modeling around an implant in the mandible in two-stage versus one-stage implantation.

On the basis of a FE-model for bone modeling which takes into account bone apposition and resorption as well as revascularization, the ossification process of the repair zone around a dental implant in the mandible is studied for two alternatives. The conventional two-stage implantation method consists of a healing phase (no direct loading of the implant) and a functional phase (direct loading). In the recently applied one-stage method the healing phase is omitted (early loading).

Ca2+-controlled competitive diacylglycerol binding of protein kinase C isoenzymes in living cells.

The cellular decoding of receptor-induced signaling is based in part on the spatiotemporal activation pattern of PKC isoforms. Because classical and novel PKC isoforms contain diacylglycerol (DAG)-binding C1 domains, they may compete for DAG binding. We reasoned that a Ca2+-induced membrane association of classical PKCs may accelerate the DAG binding and thereby prevent translocation of novel PKCs.

A note on the temperature dependence of the flexural strength of a porcelain.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the temperature dependence of the flexural strength of a dental porcelain (IPS-Classic Dentin; manufacturer: Ivoclar, Liechtenstein) with temperature between its glass transition (T(g) = 581.7 degrees C) and room temperature.

Methods: The flexural strength was measured in three-point bending tests on an Instron 4204 testing apparatus.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity and trends in body mass index in German pre-school children, 1982-1997.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the entire population of 5- and 6-y-old children entering school in Germany, Bavaria, and to assess time trends over the last 15 y and the impact of ethnicity.

Design: Cross-sectional studies were based on the obligatory school entry health examinations: all health districts of Bavaria in 1997 (n=127 735); three health districts every 5 y from 1982 to 1997 (n=16 281).

Measurements: Body mass index (BMI; kg/m(2)) was calculated and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was defined based on national and international agreed cut-off points.

Genome-wide retroviral insertional tagging of genes involved in cancer in Cdkn2a-deficient mice.

We have used large-scale insertional mutagenesis to identify functional landmarks relevant to cancer in the recently completed mouse genome sequence. We infected Cdkn2a(-/-) mice with Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMuLV) to screen for loci that can participate in tumorigenesis in collaboration with loss of the Cdkn2a-encoded tumor suppressors p16INK4a and p19ARF. Insertional mutagenesis by the latent retrovirus was synergistic with loss of Cdkn2a expression, as indicated by a marked acceleration in the development of both myeloid and lymphoid tumors.

Disruption of hematopoiesis and thymopoiesis in the early premalignant stages of infection with SL3-3 murine leukemia virus.

A time course analysis of SL3-3 murine leukemia virus (SL3) infection in thymus and bone marrow of NIH/Swiss mice was performed to assess changes that occur during the early stages of progression to lymphoma. Virus was detectable in thymocytes, bone marrow, and spleen as early as 1 to 2 weeks postinoculation (p.i.

Depletion of CD25(+) CD4(+) T cells and treatment with tyrosinase-related protein 2-transduced dendritic cells enhance the interferon alpha-induced, CD8(+) T-cell-dependent immune defense of B16 melanoma.

Transduction of B16 melanoma cells with IFN alpha (B16-IFN alpha) enhances CD8(+) T-cell-dependent tumor immunity in mice, resulting in delayed outgrowth in vivo. Here we provide evidence that CD4(+) T cells down-regulate the IFN alpha-induced tumor immune defense. Importantly, depletion of regulatory CD25(+) CD4(+) T cells prevented growth of B16-IFN alpha in most mice and promoted long-lasting protective tumor immunity.

Closure of vertical alveolar bone defects with guided horizontal distraction osteogenesis: an experimental study in pigs and first clinical results.

Purpose: To evaluate the option of treating alveolar clefts by guided distraction osteogenesis instead of applying osteoplasty with autologous bone grafts from iliac crest, rib or fibula.

Material And Methods: At first, 30 land-bred pigs were operated upon. Treatment of each animal included creating bony defects measuring 2, 4 or 8 mm in the maxilla, anterior to the canine region and up to the nasal periosteum.

Insertional polymorphisms of full-length endogenous retroviruses in humans.

Human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) is distinctive among the retroviruses in the human genome in that many HERV-K proviruses were inserted into the human germline after the human and chimpanzee lineages evolutionarily diverged [1, 2]. However, all full-length endogenous retroviruses described to date in humans are sufficiently old that all humans examined were homozygous for their presence [1]. Moreover, none are intact; all have lethal mutations [1, 3, 4].

Identification, cloning, expression, and characterization of the extracellular acarbose-modifying glycosyltransferase, AcbD, from Actinoplanes sp. strain SE50.

An extracellular enzyme activity in the culture supernatant of the acarbose producer Actinoplanes sp. strain SE50 catalyzes the transfer of the acarviosyl moiety of acarbose to malto-oligosaccharides. This acarviosyl transferase (ATase) is encoded by a gene, acbD, in the putative biosynthetic gene cluster for the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose.

A HERV-K provirus in chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas, but not humans.

Evidence from DNA sequencing studies strongly indicated that humans and chimpanzees are more closely related to each other than either is to gorillas [1-4]. However, precise details of the nature of the evolutionary separation of the lineage leading to humans from those leading to the African great apes have remained uncertain. The unique insertion sites of endogenous retroviruses, like those of other transposable genetic elements, should be useful for resolving phylogenetic relationships among closely related species.

Individualized stress management for primary hypertension: a randomized trial.

Objective: To test the efficacy of individualized stress management for primary hypertension in a randomized clinical trial with the use of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measures.

Methods: Men and women aged 28 to 75 years with mean ambulatory BP greater than 140/90 mm Hg received 10 hours of individualized stress management by means of semistandardized treatment components. They were randomly assigned to immediate treatment (n = 27) or a wait list control group (n = 33).

V3 variation in HIV-seropositive patients receiving a V3- targeted vaccine.

Objective: To analyze V3 loop sequences of HIV-1 in three seropositive individuals who exhibited declines in viremia while receiving a V3-targeted vaccine.

Design: Retrospective analysis of case series at an HIV Clinic, University of Tel Aviv.

Patients: Three HIV-1-seropositive, PPD-DTHR-positive (PPD, Siebert purified protein derivative of tuberculin; DTHR, delayed type hypersensitivity reaction) individuals who had been inoculated with a mixture of PPD-cross-linked V3 peptides from five HIV strains and then exhibited declines in HIV-1 viremia during the course of vaccination in the absence of combination antiretroviral therapy and whose virus levels resurged once vaccine boosting was discontinued.

A high-resolution map of human chromosome 12.

Our sequence-tagged site-content map of chromosome 12 is now integrated with the whole-genome fingerprinting effort. It provides accurate and nearly complete bacterial clone coverage of chromosome 12. We propose that this integrated mapping protocol serves as a model for constructing physical maps for entire genomes.

Tissue distribution and timing of appearance of polytropic envelope recombinants during infection with SL3-3 murine leukemia virus or its weakly pathogenic SL3DeltaMyb5 mutant.

A time course analysis was performed to identify the sites of formation and timing of appearance of polytropic recombinant viruses following infection of NIH/Swiss mice with the murine retrovirus SL3-3 murine leukemia virus (SL3) or with a weakly pathogenic mutant termed SL3DeltaMyb5. The results indicated that (i) polytropic recombinant viruses occur initially in the thymus of SL3-infected animals, (ii) the timing of appearance of polytropic recombinants in bone marrow is not consistent with their participation in the previously reported formation of transplantable tumor-forming cells at 3 to 4 week postinoculation, and (iii) the efficient generation of recombinant virus is correlated with efficient tumor induction.

Immunologic responses of HIV-1-infected study subjects to immunization with a mixture of peptide protein derivative-V3 loop peptide conjugates.

V3 loop peptide sequences from several HIV-1 strains were covalently linked to purified protein derivative (PPD) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A mixture of PPD conjugates of V3 loop peptides from six different strains of HIV-1 induced a stronger antibody response than a single V3 peptide-conjugate administered to guinea pigs and humans. Sera from animals immunized with a PPD-six peptide-PPD conjugate neutralized multiple primary-isolate strains of HIV-1.

High levels of IL-4 and IL-10 mRNA and low levels of IL-2, IL-9 and IFN-gamma mRNA in MuLV-induced lymphomas.

The expression of cytokines may influence the development of lymphoma in retrovirally infected animals in at least two ways: (1) cytokines in the tumor environment may stimulate the proliferation of tumor cells and/or (2) cytokines in the tumor environment may diminish the cell-mediated antitumor immune response. To evaluate these possibilities, a semiquantitative RT-PCR approach was utilized to permit a broad screening of cytokine mRNAs in a large number of tissue samples. Examination of MuLV-induced end-stage lymphomas revealed the absence of mRNA for cytokines known to stimulate the proliferation of T cells (i.

Many human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) proviruses are unique to humans.

Background: Endogenous retroviruses contribute to the evolution of the host genome and can be associated with disease. Human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) is related to the mouse mammary tumor virus and is present in the genomes of humans, apes and cercopithecoids (Old World monkeys). It is unknown how long ago in primate evolution the full-length HERV-K proviruses that are in the human genome today were formed.

Selection of reversions and suppressors of a mutation in the CBF binding site of a lymphomagenic retrovirus.

The retrovirus SL3 induces T-cell lymphomas in mice. The transcriptional enhancer in the long terminal repeat (LTR) of SL3 contains two 72-bp repeats. Each repeat contains a binding site for the transcription factor CBF (also called AML1).

Thermal stresses in metal-ceramic specimens for the ISO crack initiation test (three-point flexure bond test).

Objectives: At the October 1996 meeting of the ISO/TC106/SC 2/WG 1 working group, a special three-point flexure test for the characterization of the metal-ceramic bond was incorporated in the standard (ISO CD 9693). Due to the fabrication process, like real porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) restorations, the specimens contain thermal (eigen-) stresses upon which the load stresses are superimposed in the actual test. This study is devoted to the determination of these residual thermal stresses.