Reliability of natural head position in orthodontic diagnosis: A cephalometric study

Natural head position is a standardized and reproducible position, of the head in an upright posture, the eyes focused on a point in the distance at eye level, which implies that the visual axis is horizontal. While natural head position is a standardized position, natural head posture is a physiologic position of the head, when taking the first step forward from the standing to a moving or walking posture. “Orthoposition” is characteristic for a person and reproducible, but differs among persons. Cephalometrics is constantly undergoing refinements in its techniques and analyses to improve the clinical applications. NHP, a long-proposed modification, yet not fully into practice, can be an "ideal" reference for us to improve our cephalometric interpretation. This study was done to investigate sexual difference in the data obtained, from the study between male and female subjects and to compare the data given in 10-measurement cephalometric analysis based on natural head position, with the data obtained from the present study.

Nocardia nova mycetoma over forehead in a lepromatous leprosy patient

We present a case of a 31-year-old male, a known patient with lepromatous leprosy with a type 2 lepra reaction, who presented with a slowly growing asymptomatic swelling with multiple discharging sinuses over the forehead that developed over 6 months. Smears of the serosanguinous discharge on Gram staining showed Gram-positive branching filamentous bacilli, which on culture on blood agar showed chalky-white colonies. Histology of the lesion showed suppurative granulomas with polymorphs surrounding characteristic grains. The isolate was identified as Nocardia nova by gene sequencing and the patient was started on combined antibiotic therapy that resulted in complete resolution of the infection in six months. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of mycetoma related to Nocardia nova in association with leprosy.

Novel in situ normal streaming potential device for characterizing electrostatic properties of confluent cells

The characteristics of transport across confluent cell monolayers may often be attributed to its electrostatic properties. While tangential streaming potential is often used to quantify these electrostatic properties, this method is not effective for transport normal to the apical cell surface where the charge properties along the basolateral sides may be important (i.e., confluent cells with leaky tight junctions). In addition, even when cells have a uniform charge distribution, the shear stress generated by the conventional tangential flow device may dislodge cells from their confluent state. Here we introduce a novel streaming potential measurement device to characterize the normal electrostatic properties of confluent cells. The streaming potential device encompasses a 24 mm cell-seeded Transwell(®) with two AgCl electrodes on either side of the cell-seeded Transwell. Phosphate buffered saline is pressurized transversal to the Transwell and the resultant pressure gradient induces a potential difference. Confluent monolayers of HEK and EA926 cells are used as examples. The corresponding zeta potential of the cell-membrane configuration is calculated using the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski equation and the zeta potential of the confluent cell layer is deconvolved from the overall measurements. For these test models, the zeta potential is consistent with that determined using a commercial dispersed-cell device. This novel streaming potential device provides a simple, easy, and cost-effective methodology to determine the normal zeta potential of confluent cells cultured on Transwell systems while keeping the cells intact. Furthermore, its versatility allows periodic measurements of properties of the same cell culture during transient studies.

Linkage of data in the study of ethnic inequalities and inequities in health outcomes in Scotland, New Zealand and The Netherlands: insights for global study of ethnicity and health

Reducing inequalities in health is a global priority. An essential tool in achieving this reduction is the ability to provide valid measurements of inequalities, which are comparable over time and ultimately across countries and continents. With valid data a true understanding of inequalities can be ascertained, which can begin to inform effective legislation and policy. In this workshop, the speakers described in three different countries, Scotland, New Zealand and The Netherlands, how record linkage has been used to link ethnic status to health and health care measures and so to determine ethnic inequalities in health with the ultimate aim of reducing these inequalities.

Major ethnic group differences in breast cancer screening uptake in Scotland are not extinguished by adjustment for indices of geographical residence, area deprivation, long-term illness and education

Background:

Breast cancer screening data generally show lower uptake in minority ethnic groups. We investigated whether such variations occur in Scotland.

Methods:

Using non-disclosive computerised linkage we combined Scottish breast screening and Census 2001 data. Non-attendance at first breast-screening invitation (2002–2008) was compared between 11 ethnic groups using age-adjusted risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), multiplied by 100, using Poisson regression.

Results:

Compared with the White Scottish (RR=100), non-attendance was similar for Other White British (99.5, 95% CI 96.1–103.2) and Chinese (112.8, 95% CI 96.3–132.2) and higher for Pakistani (181.7, 95% CI 164.9–200.2), African (162.2, 95% CI 130.8–201.1), Other South Asian (151.7, 95% CI 118.9–193.7) and Indian (141.7, 95% CI 121.1–165.7) groups. Adjustment for rural vs urban residence, long-term illness, area deprivation and education, associated with risk of non-attendance, increased the RR for non-attendance except for Pakistani women where it was modestly attenuated (RR=164.9, 149.4–182.1).

Conclusion:

Our data show important inequality in breast cancer screening uptake, not attenuated by potential confounding factors. Ethnic inequalities in breast screening attendance are of concern especially given evidence that the traditionally lower breast cancer rates in South Asian groups are converging towards the risks in the White UK population. Notwithstanding the forthcoming review of breast cancer screening, these data call for urgent action.

Terahertz response and colossal Kerr rotation from the surface states of the topological insulator Bi2Se3

We report the THz response of thin films of the topological insulator Bi2Se3. At low frequencies, transport is essentially thickness independent showing the dominant contribution of the surface electrons. Despite their extended exposure to ambient conditions, these surfaces exhibit robust properties including narrow, almost thickness-independent Drude peaks, and an unprecedentedly large polarization rotation of linearly polarized light reflected in an applied magnetic field. This Kerr rotation can be as large as 65° and can be explained by a cyclotron resonance effect of the surface states.

Creating Composite Age Groups to Smooth Percentile Rank Distributions of Small Samples

Individually administered tests are often normed on small samples, a process that may result in irregularities within and across various age or grade distributions. Test users often smooth distributions guided by Thurstone assumptions (normality and linearity) to result in norms that adhere to assumptions made about how the data should look. Test users, however, may come across particular tests or sets of data in which the Thurstone assumptions are untenable. When users expect deviations from normality within age or grade, an alternate method is desirable. The authors present a relatively simple procedure that allows the user to treat observed raw scores as ordinal data with differently shaped sample distributions across age levels. Each age-level group is used twice to create new moving composite group distributions that replace (i.e., smooth) the original groups to reduce irregularities due to the small sample sizes. The authors present the results of a simulation study of the method, demonstrating that moving composite groups ameliorate error introduced by small samples beyond applying the normalized inverse to a score distribution. The method presented might satisfy those who question whether their data meet the strong assumptions of normality and interval-level measurement, and the simplicity might encourage smoothing by additional users.

Heat-induced changes in intracellular Na+, pH and bioenergetic status in superfused RIF-1 tumour cells determined by23Na and31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The acute effects of hyperthermia on intracellular Na+ (Nai+), bioenergetic status and intracellular pH (pHi) were investigated in superfused Radiation Induced Fibrosarcoma-1 (RIF-1) tumour cells using shift-reagent-aided 23Na and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Hyperthermia at 45 degrees C for 30 min produced a 50% increase in Na, a 0.42 unit decrease in pHi and a 40-45% decrease in NTP/P(i). During post-hyperthermia superfusion at 37 degrees C, pHi and NTP/P(i) recovered to the baseline value, but Na initially decreased and then increased to the hyperthermic level 60 min after heating. Hyperthermia at 42 degrees C caused only a 15-20% increase in Nai+. In the presence of 3 microM 5-(N-ethyl-N-isopropyl)amiloride (EIPA), an inhibitor of the Na+/H+ exchanger, the increase in Nai+ during 45 degrees C hyperthermia was attenuated, suggesting that the heat-induced increase in Nai+ was mainly due to an increase in Na+/H+ anti-porter activity. EIPA did not prevent hyperthermia-induced acidification. This suggests that pHi is controlled by other ion exchange mechanisms in addition to the Na+/H+ exchanger. EIPA increased the thermo-sensitivity of the RIF-1 tumour cells only slightly as measured by cell viability and clonogenic assays. The hyperthermia-induced irreversible increase in Nai+ suggests that changes in transmembrane ion gradients play an important role in cell damage induced by hyperthermia.

Inflammatory markers and growth in South Asian and European origin infants in Britain: the Manchester Children's Growth and Vascular Health Study

OBJECTIVE

Given the high risk of cardiovascular disease in South Asians and the importance of inflammation in coronary heart disease we tested the hypothesis that circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) would be higher in healthy British born infants of South Asian origin than in infants of European origin in the first 2 years of life.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Infants of South Asian (n=74) and European (n=129) origin were followed prospectively from birth. Anthropometry and fasting CRP and IL-6 concentrations were measured at one or more of 3, 6, 12 and 24 months of age.

RESULTS

South Asian infants had a significantly lower circulating CRP compared with European infants (beta=0.63, 95% CI 0.41-0.98 mg/l, P=0.040). There was no significant change in CRP from birth to 2 years in either ethnic group so that neither infant weight nor weight gain were associated with CRP during follow-up. IL-6 concentrations were low or undetectable during follow-up in all participants.

CONCLUSION

In our cohort, South Asian origin infants had significantly lower markers of inflammation compared with European infants. Infant growth to age 2 years was not associated with CRP or IL-6. Inflammatory markers are not useful indices of CVD risk at this age, with such markers not being elevated as expected in South Asian infants. The timing of the rise of such markers to the levels found in adult South Asian populations needs longer prospective study.

[Noninvasive monitoring of the hepatocellular carcinoma growth by the method of 1H and 23Na nuclear magnetic resonance]

Using diffusion weighted 1H, single-quantum 23Na and triple-quantum-filtered 23Na magnetic resonance imaging water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), total tissue Na+ and intracellular Na+ were monitored in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats and in the surrounding liver tissue. The tumor water ADC was approximately 50% higher compared to the nearby healthy liver tissue but did not increase during 28 days of tumor growth (double time 3.9 days). The HCC growth was associated with an increase in both total tissue and intracellular 23Na signal intensity especially after 21 days post-cell inoculation reflecting possible changes in extracellular space and in intracellular ionic metabolism.

Effect of reflux-induced inflammation on transient receptor potential vanilloid one (TRPV1) expression in primary sensory neurons innervating the oesophagus of rats

A possible mechanism of oesophageal hypersensitivity is the acid-induced activation of transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) in the primary sensory neurons. We investigated TRPV1 expression and its colocalization with substance P (SP) and isolectin B4 (IB4)-positive cells in the thoracic dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and nodose ganglia (NGs) of rats with reflux-induced oesophagitis (RO). RO was developed by fundus ligation and partial obstruction of the pylorus of Sprague-Dawley rats. Four groups of rats were used; fundus ligated acute (RO 48 h), chronic 7 days (RO 7D), RO 7D + omeprazole (7D + Omz, 40 mg kg(-1), i.p.) and sham-operated controls. Immunohistochemical analysis of TRPV1, SP and IB4 expression were carried out in spinal cord (SC), DRGs and NGs. RO rats exhibited significant inflammation and increase in TRPV1-ir and SP-ir expressions in the SC, DRGs and NGs. The maximum colocalization of TRPV1 and SP was observed in RO 7D rats, but Omz prevented inflammation and over expression of TRPV1 and SP. TRPV1-ir significantly increased in IB4-positive cells in DRGs and SC, but not in the NGs. Results document that acid-induced oesophagitis increases TRPV1 expression in both SP- and IB4-positive sensory neurons. The over expression of TRPV1 may contribute to oesophageal hypersensitivity observed in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).

[Effect of temperature and monensin on the level of intracellular sodium and pH in perfused RIF-1 cultured cells]

The direct measurement of temperature in subcutaneously (sc) implanted tumors shows that the actual tumor temperature is by 3-4 degrees C lower than the normal body temperature. Thus, the temperatures usually used for tumor hyperthermia are in fact heating the sc-tumors from 33 to 37 degrees C. The temperature increase during the perfusion of radiation-induced fibrosarcoma (RIF-1) cells from 33 to 37 degrees C caused a reversible increase in intracellular 23Na ([Na+]i) NMR signal intensity by 50-60%. This heating significantly decreased the intracellular pH (pH) in 5 min, but it returned back to the baseline level during the heating period. The 3ATP/P(i) remained generally unchanged throughout the experiment. Monensin, an antitumoral drug and Na+ ionophor, increased [Na+]i by 20% during cell superfusion without heating. When combined, monensin did not increase the heating effect on [Na+]i. However, when monensin was added to the superfusion media, the [Na+]i level did not return to baseline during post-heating recovery, but instead started to increase again. Monensin did not significantly change pH(i) and betaATP/P(i). Our data and the literature show that monensin can accelerate the processes leading to the collapse of the transmembrane Na+ gradient and thus can increase the thermo-sensitivity of tumor cells.