An improved version of the cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method for the assessment of mandibular growth.

The present study aimed to provide a version of the Cervical Vertebral Maturation (CVM) method for the detection of the peak in mandibular growth based on the analysis of the second through fourth cervical vertebrae in a single cephalogram. The morphology of the bodies of the second (odontoid process, C2), third (C3), and fourth (C4) cervical vertebrae were analyzed in six consecutive cephalometric observations (T1 through T6) of 30 orthodontically untreated subjects. Observations for each subject consisted of two consecutive cephalograms comprising the interval of maximum mandibular growth (as assessed by means of the maximum increment in total mandibular length, Co-Gn), together with two earlier consecutive cephalograms and two later consecutive cephalograms.

New perspectives in PDGF receptor downregulation: the main role of phosphotyrosine phosphatases.

Uncontrolled activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) is implicated in the proliferation of cancerous cells, and deficiencies in RTKs results in pathological conditions such as developmental abnormalities and immunodeficiencies. Tight regulation of RTK cascades is therefore critical for eliciting an appropriate type and level of response to external stimuli. The aim of this work is to compare different RTK downregulation mechanisms, such as ligandinduced internalisation, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and dephosphorylation by protein phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPs).

Treatment timing for rapid maxillary expansion.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term and long-term treatment effects of rapid maxillary expansion in 2 groups of subjects treated with the Haas appliance. Treatment outcomes were evaluated before and after the peak in skeletal maturation, as assessed by the cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) method, in a sample of 42 patients compared to a control sample of 20 subjects. Posteroanterior cephalograms were analyzed for the treated subjects at T1 (pretreatment), T2 (immediate post-expansion) and T3 (long-term observation), and were available at T1 and at T3 for the controls.

Patella resurfacing in total knee replacement: functional evaluation and complications.

Three different knee replacements, with three trochlear designs, were prospectively evaluated clinically and radiographically for patellar function and presence of patellar complications. They included the Insall-Burstein (IB) I and the IB-II (posterior cruciate ligament substituting) and the Meniscal Bearing Knee (MBK; posterior cruciate ligament recession). The trochlea of the IB-I was short and shallow with an anterior sharp edge of the intercondylar box (later modified to a smoother edge) and the femoral component had a prominent "shoulder.

Thin-plate spline analysis of mandibular growth.

The analysis of mandibular growth changes around the pubertal spurt in humans has several important implications for the diagnosis and orthopedic correction of skeletal disharmonies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate mandibular shape and size growth changes around the pubertal spurt in a longitudinal sample of subjects with normal occlusion by means of an appropriate morphometric technique (thin-plate spline analysis). Ten mandibular landmarks were identified on lateral cephalograms of 29 subjects at 6 different developmental phases.

Slow-release pellets of sodium butyrate do not modify azoxymethane (AOM)-induced intestinal carcinogenesis in F344 rats.

Butyrate exerts anti-tumour effects in vitro, but not consistently in vivo. We previously demonstrated that the administration of slow-release gastro-resistant pellets of sodium butyrate increases apoptosis in the colon mucosa of rats, an effect which may protect against carcinogenesis. Therefore, we studied whether the administration of butyrate pellets could protect rats against experimental colon carcinogenesis.

Tooth anomalies associated with failure of eruption of first and second permanent molars.

The occurrence of tooth anomalies in association with failure of the first and second molars to erupt was assessed in a sample of 1520 nonsyndromic subjects with uncrowded dental arches (mean age, 14 years 4 months) and compared with the prevalence rate calculated in a matched control group of 1000 subjects. The tooth anomalies examined included infraocclusion of deciduous molars, palatal displacement of maxillary canines, rotation of maxillary lateral incisors, aplasia of second premolars, and small size of maxillary lateral incisors. Associations among arrested eruption of first and second permanent molars and anomalies in tooth eruption and position (infraoccluded deciduous molars, palatally displaced canines, rotated maxillary lateral incisors) were highly significant (P <.

Treatment and posttreatment craniofacial changes after rapid maxillary expansion and facemask therapy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment and posttreatment dentoskeletal changes in 2 groups of subjects with Class III malocclusions. Subjects were treated with a bonded acrylic-splint expander and a face mask, and the optimal timing for this treatment protocol was assessed. The treated sample (29 subjects) was divided into 2 groups according to the stage of dental development.

Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidases in heart and bovine serum.

In guinea pig dorsal skin the semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) is localised in fibroblasts. Fibroblasts in culture lose the ability to express this enzymatic activity with doublings, thus suggesting that the SSAO expression needs some factors which are not present in the 10% bovine serum culture medium. Fresh bovine serum of adult animals contains two SSAO activities, one with high affinity for benzylamine and one with lower affinity.

Femoral tunnel position in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using three techniques. A cadaver study.

The possibility of achieving correct deep femoral tunnel positioning during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with the double incision technique (DI), the transtibial technique (TT), and the anteromedial technique (AM) was evaluated in 30 cadaver knees. A reference hole was made just deep to the insertion of the anteromedial bundle of the ACL through an anteromedial arthrotomy. In the DI technique, a Kirshner wire was inserted outside-in using a rear entry C guide.

The relationship between the intercondylar roof and the tibial plateau with the knee in extension: relevance for tibial tunnel placement in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

The relationship between the intercondylar roof and the tibial plateau with the knee in full extension was studied in 100 patients with a unilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) lesion. A lateral view of both knees in full extension with superimposition of the femoral condyles was obtained with the fluoroscope. We found that, in the normal knee, the roof line intersects the tibial plateau (roof-plateau intersection ratio) at 31.

The Insall-Burstein total knee replacement in osteoarthritis: a 10-year minimum follow-up.

A total of 99 Insall-Burstein posterior stabilized (IBPS) knee replacements were implanted in 86 osteoarthritic patients. We reviewed 60 knees with a 10- to 15-year follow-up. Using the Knee Society score, 35 knees (58%) were excellent, 15 (25%) good, 4 (7%) fair, and 6 (10%) poor.

Treatment and posttreatment effects of acrylic splint Herbst appliance therapy.

This study evaluated the skeletal and dentoalveolar changes induced by acrylic splint Herbst therapy of Class II malocclusion. The treated group comprised 55 subjects with Class II malocclusion treated with the acrylic splint Herbst appliance followed by comprehensive edgewise therapy. The mean age at Time 1 (immediately before treatment) was 12 years and 10 months +/- 1 year and 2 months.

Purification of pig heart benzylamine oxidase.

A benzylamine oxidase (E.C. 1.

Shape-coordinate analysis of skeletal changes induced by rapid maxillary expansion and facial mask therapy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate maxillary and mandibular shape/size changes by means of Bookstein's shape-coordinate and tensor analysis in children with Class III malocclusions treated with rapid maxillary expansion and a facial mask in order to define optimum timing of intervention for this type of therapy. The treated group (46 subjects, 26 females and 20 males) was divided into two subgroups according to the stage of dentitional development. The early-treated group consisted of 23 subjects treated in the early mixed dentition (mean age at Time 1, 6 years 9 months +/- 7 months); the late-treated group included 23 subjects treated in the late mixed dentition (mean age at Time 1, 10 years 3 months +/- 1 year).

Enhancement of lung-colonizing potential of murine tumor cell lines co-cultivated with activated macrophages.

In order to explore the influence of activated macrophages on tumor cells, we cultured a series of weakly metastatic clones isolated from the murine T3 fibrosarcoma line (T3 clones) and the B16-F10 melanoma cells on feeder layers of C. parvum- or thioglycollate-elicited macrophages, or 'resident' (unstimulated) macrophages. Co-cultivation with C.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibits proliferation of IMR-90 human fibroblasts and stimulates pyruvate kinase activity in confluent-phase cells.

This study tested the hypothesis that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) plays a role in regulating some aspects of metabolism in IMR-90 normal human fetal lung fibroblasts. Among the enzymes studied, only pyruvate kinase showed a significant increase after treatment of confluent-phase cells with 1,25(OH)2D3 at various concentrations (0.1-100 nM range) for 24 h.

Results of surgical treatment of arthrofibrosis after ACL reconstruction.

We prospectively studied 31 knee arthrolyses performed for loss of motion after intra-articular anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The arthrolysis was performed on average 10.6 months after the reconstruction (range 4-25).

Identification by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of an adduct between pure pig plasma benzylamine oxidase and the inhibitor 3,5-diethoxy-4-aminomethylpyridine.

3,5-Diethoxy-4-aminomethylpyridine (B24) interacts with pure pig plasma benzylamine oxidase (BAO), giving a Schiff base with the carbonyl active site. This Schiff base was reduced, isolated by chemical hydrolysis of the enzyme, purified by HPLC and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after derivatization. The isolated B24 adduct had the same absorption spectrum, retention time on HPLC and GC and the same mass spectrum as B24-pyridoxamine.

A comparison between medial meniscus repair, partial meniscectomy, and normal meniscus in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed knees.

A clinical, radiographic, and scintigraphic comparative study was performed on 57 consecutive successful patellar tendon anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions for chronic laxity. Patients were divided into 3 matched groups according to the medial meniscal treatment. Group A included 18 patients with medial meniscal repairs; Group B, 19 patients with partial medial meniscectomies; and Group C, 20 patients with normal menisci (controls).

Possible correlations of ocular blood flow parameters with intraocular pressure and visual-field alterations in glaucoma: a study by means of color Doppler imaging.

The authors evaluated, by means of color Doppler imaging, the blood flow of the ophthalmic artery, ciliary arteries and central retinal artery in normal and glaucomatous subjects. In normals they found that flow velocities of all considered vessels progressively decline while resistivity indices increase with advancing age. In glaucomatous subjects there was a statistically significant reduction of the mean systolic peak flow velocity of the ophthalmic artery in comparison with normals.

Posteriorly stabilised total-condylar knee replacement. Three to eight years' follow-up of 85 knees.

We have reviewed 85 knees in 71 patients after total-condylar posteriorly stabilised (Insall-Burstein) knee replacement with an average follow-up of five years. Excellent or good results were obtained in 90% with an average maximum flexion of 98 degrees. The four poor results (5%) included two with deep infection, one with patellar dislocation and one with loosening.

Commitment to differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells involves a modulated plasma membrane depolarization through Ca2+-activated K+ channels.

The role of the plasma membrane potential (delta psi p) in the commitment to differentiation of murine erythroleukemia (MEL) cells has been studied by analyzing the ionic basis and the time course of this potential in the absence or the presence of different types of inducers. delta psi p was determined by measuring the distribution of tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP+) across the plasma membrane and displayed a 22-hour depolarization phase (from -28 to +5 mV) triggered by factors contained in foetal calf serum (FCS) and followed by a nearly symmetrical repolarization phase. After measuring the electrochemical equilibrium potential of Na+, K+, and Cl-, the relative contribution of these ions to delta psi p was evaluated by means of ion substitution experiments and by the addition of ion flux inhibitors (tetrodotoxin [TTX], 4-acetoamide-4'-isothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate [SITS]) and ionophores (Valinomycin, A23187).