Fluoride removal and its impact on oral health in Sri Lanka's dry zone: Discussion and recommendation

Fifty percent of the dry zone areas in Sri Lanka have fluoride levels above 1 ppm. This paper discusses the ground conditions and recommends an appropriate range of fluoride in drinking water which can support preventive practices for improving the oral health of children 8-years old and younger. In efforts to address the Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown etiology (CKDU), water treatment to reduce contaminant level in potable water has been implemented. Such treatment would also remove fluoride and has resulted in potable water with various fluoride levels, depending on concentrations in the raw water. While it is important to reduce fluoride levels, it is important to have appropriate residual levels for prevention of dental caries. It needs, however, to be noted fluoride in excess can cause dental fluorosis. In Sri Lanka's dry zone areas increasing prevalence of dental fluorosis with decreasing prevalence of dental caries has been noted. Consumption of tea and powdered milk could increase total intake of fluoride. Fluoridated toothpaste, when used properly, may, however, result in negligible intake of fluoride. Sri Lanka's hot tropical climate which results in substantial intake of fluids reinforces the need to consider reduction in water fluoride. Consideration of local studies and international standards indicate fluoride levels should be in the range of 0.225–0.500 ppm. In the range of 0.225–0.500 ppm, the prevalence of dental fluorosis and caries was only 14% and 8%, respectively, in an endemic district. When fluoride levels are above 0.500 ppm, the issue of dental fluorosis shall need to be addressed. When levels are below 0.225 ppm, oral health care services shall need to be directed at preventing dental caries.     

Prenatal diagnosis of congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung by fetal lung biopsy

A case of type III congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung was successfully diagnosed prenatally by fetal lung biopsy. We performed this procedure at 22 weeks of gestation, using a biopsy gun system under ultrasound guidance. The pregnancy was undisturbed by the procedure but as the condition was incompatible with life, an abortion was performed. The diagnosis was confirmed at post-mortem examination. Fetal lung biopsy appears to be a useful method for prenatal diagnosis of fetal lung disorders.     

渤海江豚组织中钠,钙,锶,镁,磷,钾的研究

１９９０年，作者于辽东湾采集了１０头江豚标本，分别测定了其骨骼、皮肤、肌肉、肝脏、肺、肾、心、胃、肠、胰、脾、肾上腺及生殖腺等１３种组织中Ｃａ、Ｓｒ、Ｍｇ、Ｐ、Ｋ、Ｎａ６种元素的含量，详细分析了骨骼及其他各组织中的Ｃａ／Ｍｇ值、Ｃａ／Ｋ值、Ｃａ／Ｐ值、Ｃａ／Ｎａ值和Ｃａ／Ｓｒ×１００值。结果表明，Ｃａ、Ｓｒ、Ｍｇ、Ｐ，Ｋ在骨骼中累积率最高，钾在肌肉中具有高累积，Ｓｒ、Ｃａ在肌肉中累积率最低；Ｍｇ累积率最低的组织是生殖腺，Ｐ累积率最低的组织是肠，而Ｋ在骨骼中，Ｎａ在肌肉中的累积率均高于其他组织。分析结果还显示，Ｃａ／Ｍｇ值最高的是骨骼，最低为肌肉，Ｃａ／Ｐ值最高的是骨骼，最低的是肌肉和胰脏，Ｃａ／Ｋ值最高为骨骼，最低为脾Ｃａ／Ｓｒ×１００值最高为肺、最低为肠，而Ｋ／Ｎａ值最高为肌肉，最低为骨骼，在骨中Ｃａ／Ｐ值大约为１，类同于猫和人类。     

Quantitative structure activity relationships for carp kidney ATPase endpoint

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＭｏｓｔｏｆｎｉｔｒｏａｒｏｍａｔｉｃｓａｒｅｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｌｐｏｌｌｕｔａｎｔｓ.ＴｈｅｃａｒｐｉｓｔｈｅｍａｊｏｒｅｃｏｎｏｍｉｃｆｉｓｈｉｎＣｈｉｎａａｎｄｉｓｏｎｅｏｆｔｈｅｆｉｖｅｓｔａｎ?..     

Prenatal diagnosis of pelvic kidney

A 30-year-old woman had serial ultrasound scans from 28 weeks' gestation which revealed the presence of a cystic area in the fetal pelvis. The ‘cyst’ remained unchanged until delivery at 41 weeks. Fetal growth and amniotic fluid volume were normal throughout. A pelvic kidney was confirmed at birth. The differential diagnosis and antenatal management of this ‘cyst’ are discussed.     

三氯卡班可以影响肾小管上皮细胞的屏障功能

三氯卡班(TCC)是一种被广泛应用于个人护理用品中的广谱型亲脂性杀菌剂,已在多种环境介质和生物体中检出。因其潜在的环境蓄积、生物累积和生物毒性效应,日益受到学者们的关注。借助TCC对NRK-52E(大鼠肾小管上皮细胞)的毒性暴露实验,通过检测细胞活力、以及与跨膜电阻和紧密连接相关的连接黏附分子1(JAM~(-1),junctional adhesion molecule 1)的蛋白表达水平,研究了TCC潜在的肾脏毒性效应。结果显示,10μmol·L~(-1)TCC处理48 h时培养细胞呈现不规则的集落;10μmol·L~(-1)和20μmol·L~(-1)TCC处理NRK-52E 24 h、48 h和72 h后可以显著抑制细胞生长;3.57μmol·L~(-1)TCC(生长抑制的48 hIC20)处理NRK-52E 48 h可以显著抑制细胞间紧密连接蛋白JAM~(-1)的表达量,并降低跨膜电阻,影响肾脏的屏障功能。本研究的结果能够为进一步揭示TCC对动物的毒害机制、评估其对动物的健康风险提供数据支持。     

An LC-MS/MS method for creatine and creatinine analysis in paraquat-intoxicated patients

Abstract

A sudden increase in serum creatinine after paraquat intoxication has been reported in several clinical studies. However, this dramatic change of creatinine may be possibly due to an interconversion of creatine-creatinine in relation to paraquat toxicity. In order to investigate the creatine-creatinine relationship, a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in combination with electrospray ionization was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of creatine and creatinine in the serum. The chromatographic separation was achieved on a Gemini® C₆-Phenyl column with a gradient elution consisting of 0.1% formic acid in ultrapure water and methanol as the mobile phase. The method yielded suitable levels of specificity and selectivity, and calibration curves of creatine and creatinine in serum were linear over the concentration range of 0.5–200?µg mL^?1. The limit of quantification of both compounds was 0.5?µg mL^?1, and the method was accurate within the recovery range of 96.23–102.75%, indicating the robustness of the method. The method was successfully applied to toxicological samples from paraquat-intoxicated patients, and the concentrations of creatine and creatinine were quantified. High creatine concentrations in serum samples were observed which may lead to high serum creatinine despite normal kidney function as creatine is converted to creatinine in proportion to its concentration.     

镉胁迫对虾夷扇贝抗氧化防御系统的影响

实验研究了虾夷扇贝在96 h的急性毒性效应,以及不同浓度Cd2+(0,0.005,0.025,0.050,0.150和0.300 mg/L)对虾夷扇贝内脏团超氧化物岐化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和谷胱甘肽-过氧化物酶(GSH-PX)活力的影响,以探讨其用于污染暴露的生物标记的可行性。结果表明:虾夷扇贝96 h的LC50为1.73 mg/L;其95%的置信区间是1.58～1.90 mg/L;安全浓度为0.0173 mg/L。酶活力:0.025 mg/L及以上的各实验组SOD活力先上升后下降,在第3 d时达到峰值,与对照组呈显著差异(P<0.05);处理第6 d,各浓度组SOD活力有所下降,到第9 d时受到抑制;CAT活力在处理0.5 d时,0.025mg/L0、.150 mg/L和0.300 mg/L三个浓度组均受到显著诱导(P<0.05),处理第6 d时,各实验组酶活力开始受到抑制。两种酶对实验设计的Cd2+浓度反应敏感,呈现出"诱导-抑制"规律,对海洋Cd2+早期污染具有指示作用。GSH-PX对Cd2+污染没有SOD和CAT那样敏感,GSH-PX的各个实验组与对照组相比差异均不显著,因而它作为对海洋Cd2+早期污染指示物的意义不大。     

四溴双酚A在5种巢湖鱼类体内的组织分布与生物浓缩因子研究

利用SPE-HPLC法,分析了四溴双酚A（TBBPA）在巢湖5种经济鱼类体内的组织分布及生物浓缩因子.结果表明,TBBPA在5种鱼体内的平均含量（以干重计）为4.70～11.20 ng.g-1,高低排序为白鱼〉白鲢〉鳙鱼〉鲤鱼〉长吻鮠.不同器官中,白鱼、鳙鱼、鲤鱼和长吻鮠的肾脏中TBBPA含量最高,其次为肝脏和鳃,腹部和背部组织含量较低,无显著脂肪蓄积效应.白鲢体内肝脏的TBBPA含量最高,肾脏和鳃次之.对白鱼各组织中TBBPA含量与体重间的相关关系分析表明,肝脏、肾脏和鳃中TBBPA浓度随体重的增加而增大,而背部、腹部无显著相关关系.同时测得巢湖水体中TBBPA平均浓度为0.52μg.L-1,计算得到5种鱼的生物浓缩因子为9.56～22.64,表明TBBPA在巢湖鱼体中的浓缩效应不显著.     

Body mass estimations for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plateosaurus engelhardti</Emphasis> using laser scanning and 3D reconstruction methods

Both body mass and surface area are factors determining the essence of any living organism. This should also hold true for an extinct organism such as a dinosaur. The present report discusses the use of a new 3D laser scanner method to establish body masses and surface areas of an Asian elephant (Zoological Museum of Copenhagen, Denmark) and of Plateosaurus engelhardti, a prosauropod from the Upper Triassic, exhibited at the Paleontological Museum in Tübingen (Germany). This method was used to study the effect that slight changes in body shape had on body mass for P. engelhardti. It was established that body volumes varied between 0.79 m³ (slim version) and 1.14 m³ (robust version), resulting in a presumable body mass of 630 and 912 kg, respectively. The total body surface areas ranged between 8.8 and 10.2 m², of which, in both reconstructions of P. engelhardti, ∼33% account for the thorax area alone. The main difference between the two models is in the tail and hind limb reconstruction. The tail of the slim version has a surface area of 1.98 m², whereas that of the robust version has a surface area of 2.73 m². The body volumes calculated for the slim version were as follows: head 0.006 m³, neck 0.016 m³, fore limbs 0.020 m³, hind limbs 0.08 m³, thoracic cavity 0.533 m³, and tail 0.136 m³. For the robust model, the following volumes were established: 0.01 m³ head, neck 0.026 m³, fore limbs 0.025 m³, hind limbs 0.18 m³, thoracic cavity 0.616 m³, and finally, tail 0.28 m³. Based on these body volumes, scaling equations were used to assess the size that the organs of this extinct dinosaur have.