A chemotaxis model to explain WHIM neutrophil accumulation in the bone marrow of WHIM mouse model.

Neutrophils are essential immune cells that defend the host against pathogenic microbial agents. Neutrophils are produced in the bone marrow and are retained there through CXCR4-CXCL12 signaling. However, patients with the Warts, Hypogammaglobulinemia, Infections, and Myelokathexis (WHIM) syndrome are prone to infections due to increased accumulation of neutrophils in the bone marrow leading to low numbers of circulating neutrophils. How neutrophils accumulate in the bone marrow in this condition is poorly understood. To better understand factors involved in neutrophil accumulation in the bone marrow, neutrophils from wildtype and WHIM mouse models were characterized in their response to CXCL12 stimulation. WHIM neutrophils were found to exert stronger traction forces, formed significantly more lamellipodia-type protrusions and migrated with increased speed and displacement upon CXCL12 stimulation as compared to wildtype cells. Migration speed of WHIM neutrophils showed a larger initial increase upon CXCL12 stimulation, which decayed over a longer time period as compared to wildtype cells. We proposed a computational model based on the chemotactic behavior of neutrophils that indicated increased CXCL12 sensitivity and prolonged CXCR4 internalization adaptation time in WHIM neutrophils as being responsible for increased accumulation in the bone marrow. These findings provide a mechanistic understanding of bone marrow neutrophil accumulation in WHIM condition and novel insights into restoring neutrophil regulation in WHIM patients.

Performance of high-speed dental handpieces subjected to simulated clinical use and sterilization.

BACKGROUND: The authors investigated the performance of nine commercially available high-speed air-turbine dental handpieces subjected to 1,000 simulated clinical uses and sterilizations. METHODS: Six new handpieces from each of nine different models were subjected to simulated clinical use with a custom-made handpiece wear tester and then autoclaved. Ten parameters related to clinical performance (longevity, power, turbine speed, fiberoptic transmission, eccentricity, noise, chuck performance, visibility angle, interocclusal clearance and water coolant spray pattern) were measured at baseline and after 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 use/sterilization cycles. RESULTS: Power, turbine speed, eccentricity and noise performance were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and Turkey post hoc pairwise comparison tests at the .05 significance level. At baseline, significant differences were found between models for all of these parameters. In general, from baseline to 1,000 cycles, the handpieces exhibited greater eccentricity and reduced fiberoptic performance. Longevity data analyzed by using Gehan's generalized Wilcoxon test for comparison of survival distributions (alpha = .05) revealed significant differences between the handpiece models. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that no handpiece model is superior to the others in all parameters evaluated. All models evaluated can be expected to perform for at least 500 clinical use/sterilizations, or approximately one year, if properly maintained. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians need to be able to identify handpieces that can withstand repeated heat sterilization without loss of performance or longevity. The results of this study will aid clinicians in selecting handpiece models that meet their needs.

Effect of curing-tip diameter on the accuracy of dental radiometers.

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of four commercially available radiometers when curing tips of different diameters were used. A visible-light curing unit (Optilux 500) with a new 80-watt quartz-halogen bulb (OptiBulb) was used as the light source for all measurements. The unit's irradiance value was measured using three hand-held radiometers (Demetron model #100, Cure-Rite model #644726, and Coltolux Light Meter) and a built-in visible-light curing unit radiometer (Optilux 500). Measurements were made with four curing tips of diameters 4 mm, 7.5 mm, 10.5 mm, and 12 mm. For each tip, trials were made with five radiometers of each model. Student's t-tests at the 0.05 level of significance were used to compare the mean irradiance measured by each model of radiometer, to the irradiance value measured by a laboratory-grade power meter. A one-way analysis of variance at the 0.05 level of significance was used to compare the irradiance values among the five samples of each commercially available radiometer model. Except for the Optilux 500 built-in radiometer with the 10.5-mm tip, all the commercially available radiometers exhibited irradiance values significantly different from those of the laboratory-grade power meter. There were no statistically significant differences among the five samples of each commercially available radiometer model.

Treatment of oral chronic graft-versus-host disease with PUVA therapy: case report and literature review.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease commonly appears with oral manifestations subsequent to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. These manifestations include leukoplakia, mucosal atrophy, erythema, ulcers, and xerostomia. Some lesions are resistant to treatment with immunosuppressive medications. Ultraviolet A irradiation therapy with oral psoralen has been shown to be effective in treating these resistant lesions. This article presents a review of the literature and a case report.

The redundancy of student comments and numerical ratings in evaluations of teaching.

Student evaluation of teaching effectiveness is widely used in undergraduate institutions as one element of determining overall faculty effectiveness. The evaluation format typically consists of (1) a number of questions the student answers by indicating a numerical rating and (2) an open-ended section for written comments. Some faculty members believe that the numerical ratings are not taken seriously by the students, and that the written comments impose greater accountability on the part of students. On the other hand, numerical ratings are necessary to minimize the fear that unfavorable written comments will be taken out of context in promotion decisions. Tabulation of numerical ratings is essential if a computerized data base for faculty evaluation is to be established. This study was designed to examine the relationship between student's numerically based ratings and written comments by evaluating allied health instructors using a standard, schoolwide evaluation form. Written comments were categorized according to a five-point scale and compared to mean values obtained from numerical ratings. Twenty-two faculty and 1,311 student evaluations were included. Significant positive correlations were found between the numerical student ratings and the written comments. The highest correlations were between student comments and two items related to overall teaching effectiveness. Students who evaluated instructors at either extreme on the spectrum of effectiveness were most likely to include written comments. Based on the consistency of numerical ratings and written comments we recommend that only the numerical ratings be used as part of the promotion and tenure decision-making process.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Role of calcium in volume regulation by dog red blood cells.

Dog red blood cells (RBC) are shown to regulate their volume in anisosmotic media. Extrusion of water from osmotically swollen cells requires external calcium and is associated with net outward sodium movement. Accumulation of water by osmotically shrunken cells is not calcium dependent and is associated with net sodium uptake. Net movements of calcium are influenced by several variables including cell volume, pH, medium sodium concentration, and cellular sodium concentration. Osmotic swelling of cells increases calcium permeability, and this effect is diminished at acid pH. Net calcium flux in either direction between cells and medium is facilitated when the sodium concentrations is low in the compartment from which calcium moves and/or high in the compartment to which calcium moves. The hypothesis is advanced that energy for active sodium extrusion in dog RBC comes from passive, inward flow of calcium through a countertransport mechanism.