Effects of Monochromatic Light on Growth and Quality of Pistacia vera L

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are popular as a light source for in vitro plants because they save energy and allow the morphology of the plant to be altered. The purpose of this study was to show that switching from classical fluorescent light (FL) to LED light can have both beneficial and adverse effects. Pistacia vera plantlets were exposed to FL, monochromatic Blue LED light (B), monochromatic Red LED light (R), and a 1:1 mixture of both B and R (BR). R increased the total weight, shoot length, number of shoots ≥ 1 cm, and proliferation. It also reduced hyperhydricity (HH), but also dramatically increased shoot tip necrosis (STN) and leaf necrosis (LN). B cured plants of HH and STN, but hardly enabled proliferation. It did not solve the problem of LN, but the plants were high in total chlorophyll and carotenoids. BR reduced HH but enabled limited proliferation, high STN, and LN. All three LED treatments reduced HH compared to FL. B induced both high total phenolic and flavonoid content and high DPPH-scavenging activity. These results show that switching from FL to LED can have a significant positive or negative effect on proliferation and quality. This suggests that finding an optimal lighting regimen will take a lot of trial and error.

[Mandibular osteitis on a periapical granuloma mimicking an osteosarcoma: a case report]

INTRODUCTION

Osteitis is an inflammatory disease of bone tissue. Its clinical presentation varies according to the site, presence or absence of pus, duration and etiology. It represents one of the endo-periodontal diseases complication. We report the case of a mandibular osteitis having led to confusion with an ostesarcoma.

OBSERVATION

A 13-year-old boy was referred to our department for a right low swelling with suspicion of mandible osteosarcoma. The lesion’s evolution was 6 weeks. With the local aggressiveness and the speed evolution, the first diagnosis proposed was a mandibular osteosarcoma. Based on the clinical and radiological data established, the diagnosis of mandibular osteitis on a periapical granuloma was made and the treatment consisted on the causal tooth extraction with curettage of the periapical lesion associated to the prescription of macrolide (ERY®). The clinical follow-up was 6 weeks, a recovery with cessation of clinical signs were noticed.

DISCUSSION

The differential diagnosis facing the clinical context is an osteitis on a periapical inflammatory cyst and especially mandibular osteosarcoma. For the therapy, it’s a 3 components treatment (etiology, medical and surgical) to obtain a recovery.

Steviol glycosides targeted analysis in leaves of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) from plants cultivated under chilling stress conditions

Stevia rebaudiana is an important agricultural crop for the production of a high-potency natural sweetener, sensitive to low temperature during the developmental stage. Stimulation of chilling stress with a pre-treatment with endogenous signalling components and in particular with salicylic acid (SA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) could induce tolerance to chilling and could constitute a suitable way to maintain quality and quantity of steviol glycosides under controlled artificial environment. In the present work the effects of different putative signalling molecules on the morpho-physiological parameters were evaluated, and a specific method for the quali-quantitative analysis of steviol glycosides in S. rebaudiana plants cultivated under controlled conditions was developed, by using LC-ESI-FT (Orbitrap) MS, LC-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS and multivariate data analysis. This approach underlined that the pre-treatment has influence on the production of secondary metabolites. In particular Stevia plants characterised by higher contents of rebaudioside A and stevioside, were identified.

Specific and non-specific serological markers in the screening for congenital CMV infection

IgM antibodies specific for cytomegalovirus (CMV) were demonstrated in 15 (2.6%) of 575 umbilical cord sera obtained from newborns in Kuwait. Some 93% and 50% of these CMV-IgM positive cord sera displayed markedly raised (more than normal mean +2 S.D.) content of total IgM and IgA respectively. In contrast, only 0.2 and 1.8% of the CMV-IgM negative cord sera had elevated total IgM and IgA, respectively. Rheumatoid factor (RF) was demonstrable, at concentrations of 30 IU/ml or more, in 67% of the CMV-IgM positive as compared with 3.2% of the CMV-IgM negative sera whereas interferon alpha was found in the serum of only one of these infants. These results indicate that raised total immunoglobulin, in particular IgM, concentrations and the detection of RF in cord blood are useful non-specific markers for the identification of congenital CMV infection.

Prospective serological and clinical studies on infants born in Kuwait with an elevated IgM in cord blood

Little is known about congenital viral and toxoplasmal infections in the developing countries. This study attempts to provide preliminary data on such infections among Arab mothers and infants in Kuwait. Babies born with an elevated IgM in cord blood were selected at birth and then studied prospectively during the first year of life for serological and clinical evidence of viral and toxoplasmal infections. There appeared to be a significant association between the elevation of total cord blood IgM and the selection of cases with cytomegalovirus infection. Demonstration of specific IgM in cord sera was attempted, whenever possible, to provide further evidence of congenital infection and to exclude early postnatal infections. In 18.5% of cases there was an association between serological evidence of infection and certain clinical abnormalities. Apart from cytomegalovirus and rubella virus, no evidence was found for congenital infection by other viruses or toxoplasma in this study.