OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the apical foramen morphology and the length of merged canal at the apex in type II root canal system. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study included intact extracted maxillary and mandibular human premolars (n = 20) with fully formed roots without any visible signs of external resorption. The root segments were obtained ...

Highly charged metal ions act as catalytic centers and structural elements in a broad range of chemical complexes. The nonbonded model for metal ions is extensively used in molecular simulations due to its simple form, computational speed, and transferability. We have proposed and parametrized a 12-6-4 LJ (Lennard-Jones)-type nonbonded model for divalent metal ions in previous work, which showe...

Peroxiredoxin (Prx) is a cellular antioxidant protein family that plays important roles in oxidative stress and immune cytotoxicity. In this study, we cloned a homologue of the Prx2 from the buccal gland of Lampetra japonica (L. japonica). L. japonica Prx2 (Lj-Prx2) contained two highly conserved motifs and shared more than 70% identity with the homologs from other vertebrate species. Phylogene...

OBJECTIVE Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a significant health problem worldwide. Pulmonary TB is a contagious disease. To control the spread of TB, the disease must be diagnosed early and treated effectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, we determined the rates and periods of TB bacterial reproduction using the Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) and the Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube (MGI...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical use of a new culture system for the isolation of mycobacteria. Routine clinical specimens were cultured in the Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube, the radiometric Bactec 460 TB system and on Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) medium to compare recovery rates and times for detection of mycobacteria and contamination rates. MGIT was tested for its ability to...

Increased oxidative stress contributes to the functional impairment of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), the pivotal players in the servicing of the endothelial cell lining. Several evidences suggest that decreasing oxidative stress by natural compounds with antioxidant properties may improve EPCs bioactivity. Here, we investigated the effects of Lisosan G (LG), a Triticum Sativum grain powd...

BACKGROUND The use of liquid medium (MGIT960) for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis was recommended by WHO in 2007. However, there has been no evaluation of its effectiveness on clinically important outcomes. METHODS AND FINDINGS A pragmatic trial was carried out in a tertiary hospital and a secondary health care unit in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. Participants were 16 years or older, suspected of...

The first boundary value problem of electroelasticity for a transversally isotropic plane with curvilinear cuts is investigated. The solvability of a system of singular integral equations is proved by using the potential method and the theory of singular integral equations. In this paper the first boundary value problem of electroelasticity is investigated for a transversally isotropic plane wi...

This study was planned to determine HIV seroprevalence among pulmonary tuberculosis patients, to characterize the isolated mycobacteria into typical and atypical strains and to evaluate the drug resistant pattern of mycobacterial isolates. The study aims to correlate multidrug resistance (MDR) and HIV seropositivity status in pulmonary tuberculosis patients. During the year 1994-1997, 750 pulmo...