Controversies in age estimation from developing teeth.

Background: Numerous dental reference data exist to estimate age from developing permanent teeth.

Aim: To compare the performance of reference data that provide a point estimate using the developing second molar.

Methods: Performance of several methods estimating age using mandibular second molar formation was compared using the Maber test sample (age = 3-16) of 946 dental radiographs.

Role of Smac in human leukaemic cell apoptosis and proliferation.

Smac (or DIABLO) is a recently identified, novel proapoptotic molecule, which is released from mitochondria into the cytosol during apoptosis. Smac functions by eliminating the caspase-inhibitory properties of the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAP), particularly XIAP. In this study, we stably transfected both full-length (FL) and mature (MT) Smac genes into the K562 and CEM leukaemic cell lines.

Influences on hospital admission for asthma in south Asian and white adults: qualitative interview study.

Objective: To explore reasons for increased risk of hospital admission among south Asian patients with asthma.

Design: Qualitative interview study using modified critical incident technique and framework analysis.

Setting: Newham, east London, a deprived area with a large mixed south Asian population.

Physiopathology of prolactin secretion in obesity.

In many species prolactin is of biological importance and has a major role in determining the deposition and mobilization of fat. In human physiology, outside pregnancy, prolactin secretion is altered by increasing body weight in both children and adults. Prolactin in this circumstance appears to be marker of hypothalamic-pituitary function: the prolactin response to insulin-hypoglycaemia, thyrotrophin releasing hormone stimulation and other stimulatory factors may be diminished.

Ex vivo assay to determine the cyclooxygenase selectivity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

1. In this study we describe experiments to establish ex vivo the selectivity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) given in vivo. 2.

Synergy between cyclo-oxygenase-2 induction and arachidonic acid supply in vivo: consequences for nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug efficacy.

Prostanoids produced via the action of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) appear central to many inflammatory conditions. Here we show in LPS-treated rats, however, that COX-2 induction alone does not greatly increase prostanoid production in vivo. For this, a second, arachidonic acid liberating stimulus is also required.

Evidence for a difference in nitric oxide biosynthesis between healthy women and men.

There is indirect evidence for a gender difference in nitric oxide (NO) synthesis from vascular endothelium. The aim of the present study was to determine NO production more directly in healthy women and men by the measurement of 15N nitrate excreted in urine after the intravenous administration of L-[15N]2-guanidino arginine. Twenty-four healthy volunteers (13 men aged 22 to 40 years and 11 women aged 23 to 42 years) participated in this study.