Comparison of verdeluz orange G and modified Gallego stains

Tumors of the oral cavity include combinations of hard and soft tissues that may be difficult to identify using routine hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining. Although combination stains can demonstrate hard and soft tissues, trichrome stains, such as VanGieson and Masson, cannot differentiate dental hard tissues, such as dentin, cementum and osteoid. Modified Gallegos (MGS) and verdeluz orange G-acid fuchsin (VOF) stains can differentiate components of teeth. We used 10 tissue sections of decalcified bone and 10 pathologic tissue sections that contained different calcified tissues including peripheral ossifying fibroma, odontoma, central ossifying fibroma and cemento-ossifying fibroma. Sections were stained with H & E, VOF or MGS. H and E stained both hard tissues pink. VOF stained bone purple-red, cementum red and collagen blue. MGS stained bone green-blue, cementum red and collagen blue. VOF staining intensity and differentiation was better than MGS staining. VOF staining demonstrated hard tissue components distinctly and exhibited good contrast with the surrounding connective tissue. VOF also is a simple, single step, rapid staining procedure.     

Defining the antigen receptor-dependent regulatory network that induces arrest of cycling immature B-lymphocytes

Background  

Engagement of the antigen receptor on immature B-lymphocytes leads to cell cycle arrest, and subsequent apoptosis. This is an essential process for eliminating self reactive B cells during its different stages of development. However, the mechanism by which it is achieved is not completely understood.     

SUPFAM: A database of sequence superfamilies of protein domains

Background  

SUPFAM database is a compilation of superfamily relationships between protein domain families of either known or unknown 3-D structure. In SUPFAM, sequence families from Pfam and structural families from SCOP are associated, using profile matching, to result in sequence superfamilies of known structure. Subsequently all-against-all family profile matches are made to deduce a list of new potential superfamilies of yet unknown structure.     

Immunohistochemical localization of TLR2 and CD14 in gingival tissue of healthy individuals and patients with chronic periodontitis

We used immunohistochemistry to quantify and compare the expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) in gingival tissues of both healthy individuals and patients with chronic periodontitis. We also correlated the expression of TLR2 and CD14 with the histological grades of chronic periodontitis. We examined 30 gingival specimens from chronic periodontitis patients and 10 from healthy individuals. Tissues from both groups were immunostained with antibodies against TLR2 and CD14. TLR2 and CD14 were expressed by endothelial cells, fibroblasts, lymphocytes and plasma cells. The immunohistochemical expression of TLR2 and CD14 was significantly greater in inflammatory cells of the chronic periodontitis group than in healthy individuals. Expression of these molecules was greater in the inflammatory cells of connective tissue adjacent to pocket epithelium in both groups. The expression of TLR2 and CD14 was greatest in the periodontitis group that was classified as severe grade, followed by moderate and mild grades, which suggests a role of TLR2 and CD14 in the pathogenesis of chronic periodontitis. The positive correlation of TLR2 and CD14 expression levels with the severity grades of chronic periodontitis suggests that they are correlated also with disease severity; therefore, they may be useful for predicting disease progression. Our findings are consistent with the possibility that CD14 acts as a co-receptor for TLR2.     

Glutathione and cinnamic acid: natural dietary components used in preventing the process of browning by inhibition of Polyphenol Oxidase in apple juice

Consumer demands for 'freshness' in processed foods has been given increasing attention by food processing industries by searching for minimally processed products. Polyphenol Oxidase (PPO) mediated browning is a major cause of undesirable flavors and nutritional losses in fruit juices. Here the anti-browning efficiency of glutathione (GSH, reduced form) and cinnamic acid (CA) in apple juice is evaluated. It was observed that the rate of the browning reaction could be efficiently delayed using GSH and CA, which act as inhibitors of PPO. Kinetic studies confirm that GSH and CA are non-competitive and competitive inhibitors of PPO respectively.     

Aerobic reduction of perchlorate by bacteria isolated in Kerala, South India

Possibility of perchlorate reduction by microbes raises hope for an eco-friendly mode of degradation of this toxic rocket fuel. This study reports 3 isolates (A1, A2 and A3) capable of molybdenum-independent degradation of perchlorate under aerobic conditions. The rate of degradation was the highest when perchlorate concentration was 17 mM, and then 3.2 mM, 4.7 mM and 4.1 mM of perchlorate was reduced by isolates A1, A2 and A3 (respectively) after 72 h at 28°C under aerobic conditions. Presence of perchlorate at a concentration higher than 17 mM resulted in some inhibition of perchlorate reduction. 16S ribosomal RNA gene analysis revealed isolate A1 to bePseudomonas stutzeri (Proteobacteria) while isolates A2 ad A3 where found to belong to the genusArthrobacter (Actinobacteria). The study, apart from demonstrating ribotyping as a rapid method of identification of economically important soil microbes, also raised prospects for using artificial consortia for environmental degradation of perchlorate, without apparent domination ofDechloromonas spp. (a group of microbes known for perchlorate remediation in the environment).     

How long should angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors be given to patients following myocardial infarction: implications of the HOPE trial

Long-term treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors reduces post-infarction morbidity and mortality in patients with left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction or symptomatic heart failure. Until recently, the effect of such treatment in patients with preserved LV function has not been known. The results from the Heart Outcome Prevention Evaluation trial have indicated that long-term treatment with ramipril leads to a significant reduction in cardiovascular events in patients with atherosclerotic disease, including those with prior myocardial infarction and preserved LV function. These results suggest that long-term angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition should also be considered in post-infarction patients with normal cardiac function.