Influence of image filters on the reproducibility measurements of alveolar bone loss.

The reproducibility of measurements of alveolar bone loss on radiographs may be a problem on epidemiologic studies, as they are based on comparisons of the diagnosis of various examiners. The aim of the present research paper was to assess the inter- and intra-examiner reproducibility of measurements of the interproximal alveolar bone loss on non-manipulated digital radiographs and after the application of image filters. Five Oral Radiologists measured the distance between the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to the alveolar crest or to the deepest point of the bony defect on 12 interproximal digital radiographs of molars and bicuspids of a dry human skull.

[Case of eosinophilic bronchitis and bronchiolitis associated with increased level of serum CEA in asthmatics].

A 50-year-old asthmatic woman showed peripheral blood eosinophilia, significantly increased level of CEA in serum (102.5ng/ml), and atelectasis of the right middle lobe on chest radiograph and CT. The level of CEA subsequently increased further, and then decreased with systemic corticosteroid therapy.

HIV-1-infected children on HAART: immunologic features of three different levels of viral suppression.

Background: HIV-1-infected children show changes of blood lymphocyte subpopulations. We have, therefore, investigated how highly active anti-retroviral therapy (ART) alter these subsets. Blood samples were taken from 41 HIV-1-infected children on ART who were divided into groups showing good, partial and poor responses to ART on the basis of viral load (VL) measurement in blood.

Cleidocranial dysplasia: importance of radiographic images in diagnosis of the condition.

Cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) is a rare syndrome usually caused by an autosomal dominant gene, although 40% of cases of CCD appear spontaneously with no apparent genetic cause. This condition is characterized by several cranial malformations and underdevelopment, absence of the clavicles, and multiple supernumerary and impacted permanent teeth. The diagnosis of this condition is usually based on the presence of the main features (supernumerary teeth, partial or total absence of one or both the clavicles, and bony malformations) and on clinical and familial evidence.

Drop of egg production in chickens by experimental infection with an avian metapneumovirus strain PLE8T1 derived from swollen head syndrome and the application to evaluate vaccine.

Decreases in egg production and increased incidence of abnormal eggs due to malformation of egg shells were observed in specific pathogen free (SPF) 173-day-old laying hens inoculated intravenously with an avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) strain PLE8T1. This strain was derived from an isolate from broiler birds exhibiting swollen head syndrome (SHS). Some SPF birds inoculated with the virus showed, slight diarrhea without any respiratory symptoms.

The influence of dietary vitamin C and E supplementation on the physiological response of pirarucu, Arapaima gigas, in net culture.

This study evaluated the efficacy of dietary vitamin C (ascorbic acid or AA), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol or alpha-T), and C+E supplementation on the blood parameters of Arapaima gigas grown in net cages for 45 days. Four treatments were tested: control (commercial feed); C800; E500 and C+E (800+500) with supplementation of 800 mg AA kg(-1), 500 mg alpha-T kg(-1) and 800+500 mg AA+alpha-T kg(-1), respectively. Hematocrit (Ht), red blood cells (RBC), and hemoglobin concentration (Hb) (oxidative status indicators), thrombocytes and leukocytes (immunological indicators), plasma protein and glucose were evaluated.

Reliable indirect competitive ELISA used for a survey of ochratoxin A in green coffee from the North of Paraná State, Brazil.

The performance of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) based on a monoclonal antibody (mAb) for ochratoxin A (OTA) detection was evaluated in a comparative study with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis using 68 freshly harvested coffee samples from the North of Paraná State, Brazil. The anti-OTA mAb showed high specificity and low cross-reactivity with OTA analogues (OTB and OTalpha), but cross-reacted with OTC. This ic-ELISA showed a detection limit of 3.

Yellow flowers generated by expression of the aurone biosynthetic pathway.

Flower color is most often conferred by colored flavonoid pigments. Aurone flavonoids confer a bright yellow color on flowers such as snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) and dahlia (Dahlia variabilis). A.

Formation of two methylenedioxy bridges by a Sesamum CYP81Q protein yielding a furofuran lignan, (+)-sesamin.

(+)-Sesamin, a furofuran class lignan, is widespread in vascular plants and represented by Sesamum spp. (+)-Sesamin has been of rapidly growing interest because of its beneficial biological effects in mammals, but its biosynthesis and physiological roles in plants remain to be clarified. It is speculated to be synthesized from (+)-pinoresinol by means of (+)-piperitol by formation of two methylenedioxy bridges mediated by two distinct Sesamum indicum cytochrome P450 (SiP450) proteins.

Influence of diets supplemented with vitamins C and E on pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) blood parameters.

This study evaluated the influence of diets supplemented with 500, 800, 1200 mg kg-1 of vitamin C (ascorbic acid or AA) and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol or alpha-T) on the physiological responses of pirarucu fed for 2 months. Weight and mortality were not affected by dietary vitamin type or their concentrations. Significant increase (p<0.

Cerebellar hypoplasia associated with an avian leukosis virus inducing fowl glioma.

Fowl glioma-inducing virus (FGV), which belongs to subgroup A of avian leukosis virus (ALV), shows tumorigenicity and pathogenicity, mainly in the nervous system, and causes astrocytoma and perineurioma. Apart from these neoplasms, cerebellar anomaly was found in chickens infected with FGV in ovo. The study reported here describes the morphologic characteristics of the affected cerebellum.

The first immunoglobulin-like domain of porcine nectin-1 is sufficient to confer resistance to pseudorabies virus infection in transgenic mice.

Nectin-1 is an alphaherpesvirus receptor that binds to virion glycoprotein D (gD). Porcine nectin-1 mediates entry of pseudorabies virus (PRV), herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), and bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1). The gD-binding domain of nectin-1 is the first or N-terminal immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domain of the entire ectodomain.

Nested polymerase chain reaction for detection of the avian leukosis virus causing so-called fowl glioma.

The complete nucleotide sequence of the avian leukosis virus causing so-called fowl glioma has been previously determined. Primers were designed for detection of the fowl glioma-causal virus (FGV) based on the 3' untranslated region of the viral genome. The provirus and viral RNA of FGV were specifically detected in various organs and tissues, including feather pulp, from experimentally infected birds using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription nested PCR.

[A case of sarcoidosis manifesting as acute febrile polyarthritis following bronchoalveolar lavage].

A 32-year-old man was incidentally found to have abnormal shadows on a chest X-ray film and was admitted on May 2004. His chest images showed mediastinal and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. The serum level of angiotensin-converting enzyme was elevated.

Comparison of protection levels against pseudorabies virus infection of transgenic mice expressing a soluble form of porcine nectin-1/HveC and vaccinated mice.

We recently generated transgenic mice expressing a soluble form of porcine nectin-1 (PHveCIg) showing remarkable resistance to pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection. Nectin-1, also known as herpesvirus entry mediator C (HveC), is an alphaherpesvirus receptor that binds to virion glycoprotein D (gD). In order to evaluate the level of resistance to PRV infection induced by the expression of PHveCIg in the transgenic mice, the protective effects of vaccinated and transgenic mice were directly compared.

Localization of a flavonoid biosynthetic polyphenol oxidase in vacuoles.

Aureusidin synthase, a polyphenol oxidase (PPO), specifically catalyzes the oxidative formation of aurones from chalcones, which are plant flavonoids, and is responsible for the yellow coloration of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) flowers. All known PPOs have been found to be localized in plastids, whereas flavonoid biosynthesis is thought to take place in the cytoplasm [or on the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)]. However, the primary structural characteristics of aureusidin synthase and some of its molecular properties argue against localization of the enzyme in plastids and the cytoplasm.

Serum ionized magnesium during magnesium sulfate administration for preterm labor and preeclampsia.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to estimate the relations between ionized and total Mg levels during MgSO4 administration in patients with preterm labor and preeclampsia.

Methods: Forty-three pregnant patients who were candidates for MgSO4 were studied (preterm labor, 27; preeclampsia, 16). The administration method was intravenous injection of MgSO4 4 g over 30 min followed by 1-2 g/h.

Biosynthesis of poly-gamma-glutamic acid in plants: transient expression of poly-gamma-glutamate synthetase complex in tobacco leaves.

Transient expression of genes coding for the poly-gamma-glutamate (gammaPGA) synthetase system (pgs) was investigated in tobacco plants. Three genes of the pgs, pgsA, pgsB and pgsC, were separately placed under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter and introduced into tobacco leaves via Agrobacterium infection. Synthesized gammaPGA in plant tissues was detected immunologically with mouse anti-gammaPGA antiserum which specifically reacts with gammaPGA on a nitrocellulose membrane.

[A case of pulmonary langerhans cell histiocytosis presenting disappearance of coalescing air wall cysts after smoking cessation].

A 17-year-old adolescent was admitted to Oita University Hospital with non-productive cough and exertional dyspnea. She had been smoking approximately 10 cigarettes per day for two years. When the patient was three years old, she underwent surgical removal of skull tumor of Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Moraxella catarrhalis does not grow on nutrient agar without sodium chloride supplementation.

None of the 58 Moraxella catarrhalis strains grew on nutrient agar without sodium chloride supplementation, whereas 49 of 51 commensal Neisseria spp. strains tested did. Growth on nutrient agar without sodium chloride supplementation could be used for screening between M.

Immunogenicity and tolerability of hepatitis A vaccine in HIV-infected children.

The immunogenicity and tolerability of hepatitis A virus vaccine was evaluated in a group of 32 children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and 27 children with seroreversion. After 2 doses of vaccine, 100% of children experienced seroconversion with good toleration of the vaccine. There were no differences in variation of virus load between immunized HIV-positive children and a group of 31 nonimmunized HIV-positive children with similar characteristics.

Prognosis in cervical insufficiency at less than 32 weeks of gestation.

Objective: To identify prenatal events associated with adverse outcome in babies at less than 32 weeks of gestation in cases of cervical insufficiency and preterm labor (PTL)/premature rupture of the membranes (PROM).

Study Design: A case-control study was performed using a logistic regression model at 17 tertiary hospitals in Japan. Adverse outcome was defined as neonatal death or abnormal cerebral ultrasound scans (intraventricular hemorrhage [IVH] and periventricular leukomalacia [PVL]) prior to discharge from hospital.

Persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous in transgenic mice expressing IE180 of the pseudorabies virus.

Purpose: Pseudorabies virus (PRV), a representative member of the alpha-herpesvirus family, causes nervous symptoms and ocular lesions, such as keratoconjunctivitis and retinal degeneration in piglets. The immediate-early protein IE180 of the PRV is known to be essential, not only in viral gene expression, but also in the cellular gene expression in host cells. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of IE180 on the development of the mouse eye, by using transgenic technology.

Japanese morning glory dusky mutants displaying reddish-brown or purplish-gray flowers are deficient in a novel glycosylation enzyme for anthocyanin biosynthesis, UDP-glucose:anthocyanidin 3-O-glucoside-2''-O-glucosyltransferase, due to 4-bp insertions in the gene.

Bright blue or red flowers in the Japanese morning glory (Ipomoea nil) contain anthocyanidin 3-O-sophoroside derivatives, whereas the reddish-brown or purplish-gray petals in its dusky mutants accumulate anthocyanidin 3-O-glucoside derivatives. The Dusky gene was found to encode a novel glucosyltransferase, UDP-glucose:anthocyanidin 3-O-glucoside-2''-O-glucosyltransferase (3GGT), which mediates the glucosylation of anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosides to yield anthocyanidin 3-O-sophorosides. Ipomoea nil carries one copy of the 3GGT gene that contains no intron and produces 1.

Trends of fumonisin contamination and animal intoxication through monitoring 1991 to 1997 corn crop in the State of Paraná, Brazil.

Eleven feed samples associated with six animal (horse and poultry) intoxication outbreaks (1991) in the state of Paraná, Brazil, were evaluated for fungal and fumonisin contamination. In order to estimate the trend of livestock intoxication, fumonisin contamination was monitored in corn produced both at the commercial level (1991, 1995 crop), and in an experimental field at a local Agronomy Institute (1997 crop). The total mould count in the feed samples ranged from 2.