The extracellular tooth enamel matrix is a unique, protein-rich environment that provides the structural basis for the growth of long and parallel oriented enamel crystals. Here we have conducted a series of in vivo and in vitro studies to characterize the changes in matrix shape and organization that take place during the transition from ameloblast intravesicular matrices to extracellular subu...

Teeth from Megalobatrachus japonicus were prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron microprobe analyzer (EMPA) to assay the elements of the enamel layer. The enamel layer of each of tooth is thin and the arrangement of the enamel crystals is regular in the Megalobatrachus japonicus. Based on calcium, phosphate and magnesium levels of distribution, the calcification level of t...

We present an algorithm for generating automatically stereoscopic paintings with varying levels of detail. We describe our interactive system built around the algorithm to enable users to adjust the level of detail of the painting. In this context of interactivity we have modified our stereo painting algorithm, presented in previous work, in order to explore the idea of user-driven artistic lev...

OBJECTIVE The authors describe a method, termed array painting, which allows the rapid, high resolution analysis of the content and breakpoints of aberrant chromosomes. METHODS Array painting is similar in concept to reverse chromosome painting and involves the hybridisation of probes generated by PCR of small numbers of flow sorted chromosomes on large insert genomic clone DNA microarrays. ...

The aim of this study was to determine whether there was any difference in the degree of enamel loss at bond-up, debond and enamel clean-up when two different adhesive systems were tested and with four different methods of enamel clean-up. The adhesive systems were 37 per cent o-phosphoric acid with Transbond XT (group 1) and 10 per cent poly(acrylic acid) conditioner with Fuji Ortho LC (group ...

Afropithecus turkanensis, a 17-17.5 million year old large-bodied hominoid from Kenya, has previously been reported to be the oldest known thick-enamelled Miocene ape. Most investigations of enamel thickness in Miocene apes have been limited to opportunistic or destructive studies of small samples. Recently, more comprehensive studies of enamel thickness and microstructure in Proconsul, Lufengp...

During eating, the teeth usually endure the sharply temperature changes because of different foods. It is of importance to investigate the heat transfer and heat dissipation behavior of the dentino-enamel junction (DEJ) of human tooth since dentine and enamel have different thermophysical properties. The spatial and temporal temperature distributions on the enamel, dentine, and pulpal chamber o...

Dental enamel thickness continues to feature prominently in anthropological studies of ape and human evolution, as well as studies of preventative oral care and treatment. Traditional studies of enamel thickness require physical sectioning of teeth for linear and scaled measurements. Recent applications of microtomographic imaging allow scientists to employ larger and more diverse samples, incl...

D uring mammalian tooth formation, two proteinases are secreted by ameloblasts: enamelysin (MMP-20) and kallikrein-4 (KLK4). Enamelysin is the early protease. It is expressed by ameloblasts throughout the secretory stage and part of the maturation stage. KLK4 is the late protease; its expression by ameloblasts begins in the transition stage and continues throughout enamel maturation. 5 Expressi...

D uring mammalian tooth formation, two proteinases are secreted by ameloblasts: enamelysin (MMP-20) and kallikrein-4 (KLK4). Enamelysin is the early protease. It is expressed by ameloblasts throughout the secretory stage and part of the maturation stage. KLK4 is the late protease; its expression by ameloblasts begins in the transition stage and continues throughout enamel maturation. 5 Expressi...