Added value and limitations of amyloid-PET imaging: review and analysis of selected cases of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.

Amyloid-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of the brain detects elevated amyloid-beta (amyloid-β) neuritic plaques in vivo, which can be helpful in appropriately selected cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, when Alzheimer's disease remains a possible etiology, after a comprehensive clinical evaluation. We reviewed cases of cognitively impaired patients who underwent amyloid-PET imaging because of diagnostic uncertainty. Pre- and post-PET elements of diagnosis and management were first compared, to assess impact of scan results on clinical decision-making, and then an analysis of those decisions was undertaken in appropriate clinical situations, to delineate the added value and limitations of amyloid-PET imaging.

Branching of the p-nitrophenol (PNP) degradation pathway in burkholderia sp. Strain SJ98: Evidences from genetic characterization of PNP gene cluster.

Aerobic microbial degradation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) has been classically shown to proceed via 'Hydroquinone (HQ) pathway' in Gram-negative bacteria, whereas in Gram-positive PNP degraders it proceed via 'Benzenetriol (BT) pathway'. These pathways are characterized by the ring cleavage of HQ and BT as terminal aromatic intermediates respectively. Earlier reports on PNP degradation have indicated these pathways to be mutually exclusive.

Assessment of slot sizes in self-ligating brackets using electron microscopy.

Objective: To measure the slot dimensions of 0.022 inch self-ligating upper central incisor brackets from six manufacturers using electron microscopy, to compare the measured dimensions with the manufacturers' published dimensions, and to determine if the walls of the slots were parallel.

Materials: Six self-ligating upper central incisor brackets from four manufacturers (SmartClip and Clarity SL, 3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA; Speed, Strite Industries Ontario, Canada; Damon MX, Ormco, Orange, CA, USA; In-Ovation R and In-Ovation C, Dentsply GAC, Bohemia NY, USA) were imaged with a scanning electron microscope and the slots heights measured.