Detection of Approximal Caries Lesions in Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

SUMMARY Detection and management of posterior approximal caries lesions are still problematic. Inspection of approximal surfaces is challenging, and bitewing radiographs are used when direct vision is not possible. Unfortunately, there is no definite radiographic appearance to identify lesion cavitation with absolute certainty. Many lesions detected radiographically within the outer half of dentin are not cavitated, often resulting in unnecessary restorative treatment. Our study compared radiographic depth of approximal caries lesions with presence of cavitation in adults using visual inspection following temporary tooth separation (TTS). We conducted this observational descriptive cross-sectional study at two dental schools in two cities in Chile. Clinicians were unaware of radiographic depths of lesions and examined 147 participants (57.3% female and 42.7% male) following TTS. Using the common classification system that consists of E0 (no lesion), E1 (lesion within the outer half of enamel), E2 (lesion within the inner half of enamel), D1 (lesion within the outer third of dentin), D2 (lesion within the middle third of dentin), and D3 (lesion within the inner third of dentin), a trained dentist evaluated all the processed films. Cavitation was detected in only three sites (0.22%) within the E0 category, seven sites (3.41%) in E1, five sites (14.8%) in E2, four sites (14.8%) in D1, six sites (50%) in D2, and eight sites (61.5%) in D3. Considering that restorative treatment should be indicated strictly for cavitated lesions, our findings support indication for restorative treatment for D3 lesions and the rationale for TTS for D1-D2 caries lesions to allow direct visual inspection to determine whether there is surface cavitation.

Transmission of integrin β7 transmembrane domain topology enables gut lymphoid tissue development

Integrin activation regulates adhesion, extracellular matrix assembly, and cell migration, thereby playing an indispensable role in development and in many pathological processes. A proline mutation in the central integrin β3 transmembrane domain (TMD) creates a flexible kink that uncouples the topology of the inner half of the TMD from the outer half. In this study, using leukocyte integrin α4β7, which enables development of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), we examined the biological effect of such a proline mutation and report that it impairs agonist-induced talin-mediated activation of integrin α4β7, thereby inhibiting rolling lymphocyte arrest, a key step in transmigration. Furthermore, the α4β7(L721P) mutation blocks lymphocyte homing to and development of the GALT. These studies show that impairing the ability of an integrin β TMD to transmit talin-induced TMD topology inhibits agonist-induced physiological integrin activation and biological function in development.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Endometrial Cancer

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to investigate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting the depth of myometrial invasion in the preoperative assessment of women with endometrial cancer and to quantify the impact of MRI as an adjunct to predicting patients requiring full surgical staging.MethodsThis was a diagnostic accuracy study of prospective cases in conjunction with STARD guidelines using collected data from a tumor board within a cancer network. Consecutive series of all endometrial cancers in Northern Ireland over a 21-month period was discussed at the Gynaecological Oncology Multidisciplinary Team/tumor board meeting. This study concerns 183 women who met all the inclusion criteria. Main outcome measure was the correlation between the depth of myometrial invasion suggested by preoperative MRI study and the subsequent histopathological findings following examination of the hysterectomy specimen. Secondary end point was how MRI changed management of women who required surgery to be performed at a central cancer center.ResultsFor the detection of outer-half myometrial invasion, overall sensitivity of MRI was 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59–0.83), and specificity was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.76–0.89). The positive predictive value was 0.63 (95% CI, 0.50–0.74), and negative predictive value was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.82–0.93). Positive likelihood ratio was 4.35 (95% CI, 2.87–6.61), and negative likelihood ratio was 0.33 (95% CI, 0.21–0.52). Magnetic resonance imaging improved the sensitivity and negative predictive value of endometrial biopsy alone in predicting women with endometrial cancer who require full surgical staging (0.73 vs 0.65 and 0.80 vs 0.78, respectively).ConclusionsPreoperative pelvic MRI is a moderately sensitive and specific method of identifying invasion to the outer half of myometrium in endometrial cancer. Addition of MRI to preoperative assessment leads to improved preoperative assessment, triage, and treatment.

Flushing time of solutes and pollutants in the central Great Barrier Reef lagoon, Australia

The flushing time of the central Great Barrier Reef lagoon was determined by using salinity as a tracer and developing both an exchange model and a diffusion model of the shelf exchange processes. Modelling suggests that the cross-shelf diffusion coefficient is approximately constant for the outer half of the lagoon but decays rapidly closer to the coast. The typical outer-shelf diffusion coefficient is ~1400 m2 s–1, dropping to less than 100 m2 s–1 close to the coast. Flushing times are around 40 days for water close to the coast and 14 days for water in the offshore reef matrix.

Kinetics of Steady-state Differentiation and Mapping of Intrathymic-signaling Environments by Stem Cell Transplantation in Nonirradiated Mice

Upon thymus entry, thymic-homing progenitors undergo distinct phases of differentiation as they migrate through the cortex to the capsule, suggesting that the signals that induce these differentiation steps may be stratified in corresponding cortical regions. To better define these regions, we transplanted purified stem cells into nonirradiated congenic recipients and followed their differentiation with respect to both tissue location and time. The earliest progenitors (DN1) remained confined to a very narrow region of the cortex for about the first 10 d of intrathymic residence; this region virtually overlaps the sites of thymic entry, suggesting that DN1 cells move very little during this lengthy period of proliferation and lineage commitment. Movement out of this region into the deeper cortex is asynchronous, and corresponds to the appearance of DN2 cells. Differentiation to the DN3 stage correlates with movement across the midpoint of the cortex, indicating that stromal signals that induce functions such as TCR gene rearrangement reside mainly in the outer half of the cortex. The minimum time to reach the capsule, and thus transit to the DP stage, is ∼13 d, with the average time a few days longer. These findings reveal for the first time the kinetics of steady-state progenitor differentiation in the thymus, as well as defining the boundaries of cortical regions that support different phases of the differentiation process. We also show that the first lineage-positive progeny of transplanted stem cells to appear in the thymus are dendritic cells in the medulla, suggesting that each new wave of new T cell production is preceded by a wave of regulatory cells that home to the medulla and ensure efficient tolerance and selection.

Quintuplexacrinus, a new cladid crinoid genus from the Upper Ordovician Maquoketa Formation of the northern midcontinent of the United States

Quintuplexacrinusnew genus withDendrocrinus oswegoensisMeek and Worthen (1868) as the type and only known species is described and assigned to the Merocrinidae. The new genus is characterized by a unique stem with a highly pentalobate axial canal; the distal column is highly differentiated with large and very high nodals and thin intemodals. A cladistic analysis indicates thatQuintuplexacrinusn. gen. is closely related toPraecupulocrinus.The numbers of the various orders of brachs are independent of the size and age of the animals. Within the arms only the numbers of primibrachs and secundibrachs are positively correlated. Some variation is related to position of the rays. The C ray bears the smallest number of primibrachs. The outer half-rays possess more numerous tertibrachs than the inner ones. Aboral cup growth produces a wide-based and distally expanding outline at all sizes. In general, the widths of the cup and the cup's component plates are positively allometric relative to their heights. Likewise, the width: height ratios of the proximal brachs, primibrachs through tertibrachs, increase in older and larger individuals because the widths grow faster than the heights. The number of columnals in both the proximal and distal stem regions is typically stabilized throughout ontogeny. However, the entire stem becomes longer and wider in larger specimens due to calcite deposition on the columnals. Development of the columnals is isometric so their shapes do not change with size and age.

Recruitment of the 1987 Year Class of Georges Bank Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus): The Influence of Unusual Larval Transport

Unusually strong along-shelf surface flow in the spring of 1987 transported haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) larvae westward from spawning grounds on Georges Bank into the Middle Atlantic Bight, some as far as 400 km beyond the limits of their normal distribution. 0-Group haddock survived in the Bight in record numbers. Their center of abundance occurred along the outer half of the shelf from Delaware Bay to Martha's Vineyard where more than 97% of the 0-group fish resided in the fall of 1987. Juveniles remained more abundant in the Bight than on the bank through the spring of 1988. Collective evidence suggests that survivors returned to Georges Bank during the late spring/early summer of 1988. The estimated number of 0-group fish in the 1987 year class exceeded all previous estimates from a 27-yr time series which included the 1963 year class, the largest recruited to the fishery since record keeping began in 1931.

The Sun’s Internal Differential Rotation From Helioseismology

Well-confirmed helioseismic data from several groups using various observational techniques at different sites have allowed us to determine the differential rotation in the outer half of the Sun’s interior. The resulting rotation law is simple – the surface differential rotation persists through much of the convection zone with a transition toward solid body rotation beneath. To date there is no appealing evidence for a rapidly rotating core. There is however, weak evidence for a solar cycle dependence of the Sun’s internal rotation.

Reliability of Thermally Loaded Cylinders

Cylinders often contain fluids at various temperatures. Temperature gradients develop across the cylinder which in turn produce thermal stresses. Using a perturbation technique, expressions for means and standard deviations of thermal stresses in cylinders are presented in this paper. These expressions include the probabilistic effects of changes due to inner and outer radii, modulus of elasticity, Poisson’s ratio, coefficient of thermal expansion, and temperature. It is found out that the cylinder is more sensitive to the geometrical changes than the mechanical and thermal changes. It is also noticed that the effect of variation in the inner radius is more than the outer radius at the inner half of the cylinder. On the other hand, the effect of variation in the outer radius is more than the inner radius at the outer half of the cylinder. Probabilities of failure are calculated for normal and log-normal distributions.