conclusion the determination of the presence of mb2 in the maxillary first molars may be carried out using cbct scans. if the ∠mdp was 91 degrees or greater, there was considered to be a higher probability that mb2 canals would be found in the endodontic cavity. due to the positive correlation between the ∠mdp and the ∠mdmb2, the localization of mb2 canals may be easily performed in relation to...

Amyloidosis is characterized by an abnormal extracellular deposition of amyloid in different organs, where it usually causes some type of dysfunction. Its cause is unknown. Five different types of amyloidosis have been described according to the underlying disease; immunoglobulin amyloidosis, familial amyloidosis, senile systemic amyloidosis, secondary amyloidosis and hemodialysis-associa...

In this report we describe a new POMDP algorithm, denoted TEQ-MDP, which computes the optimal policy of a modified MDP and uses the obtained optimal solution to compute the action for the POMDP, as a function of the belief-state. The modified MDP includes state entropy information (transition entropy) in its reward structure so as to value actions that gather information. This algorithm is suit...

The skeleton is a metabolically active organ that undergoes continuous remodelling throughout life. Normal healthy bones are dynamic structures with inherent basal levels of turnover sustained by balanced osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity. Increased bone turnover (ie osteoblastic activity) is the central mechanism of attempts at bone healing in case of any insult, whether it is benign or m...

Bacterial peptidoglycan-derived muramyl dipeptide (MDP) and derivatives have long-recognized antiviral properties but their mechanism of action remains unclear. In recent years, the pattern-recognition receptor NOD2 has been shown to mediate innate responses to MDP. Here, we show that MDP treatment of mice infected with Influenza A virus (IAV) significantly reduces mortality, viral load and pul...

Gram-negative vaccines can elicit the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in mice primed by muramyl dipeptide (MDP) or by its lipophilic derivative MDP-dipalmitoyl glycerol (MDP-GDP). In mice pretreated with MDP and particularly with MDP-GDP, Bordetella pertussis vaccine was shown to be more effective than typhoid vaccine. The time course of TNF production in the blood did not indicate an...

The ability of liposomes containing a synthetic lipophilic muramyl dipeptide derivative, N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamyl-sn-glycerol dipalmitate (MDP-GDP), to inhibit the growth of experimental B16-F1 melanoma liver metastases in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice has been determined. Multiple i.v. injections of distearoylphosphatidylcholine:dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol liposomes (1 mumol, 10:1 m...

Peptidoglycan-derived muramyl dipeptide (MDP) activates innate immunity via the host sensor NOD2. Although MDP is N-acetylated in most bacteria, mycobacteria and related Actinomycetes convert their MDP to an N-glycolylated form through the action of N-acetyl muramic acid hydroxylase (NamH). We used a combination of bacterial genetics and synthetic chemistry to investigate whether N-glycolylatio...