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Bioarchaeologists have long noted two unusual trends in the dentitions of prehistoric Native Californian populations: high rates of wear and low prevalence of caries. The Central California site of CA- CCO-548 offers a unique opportunity to examine the relationship between oral pathology and extreme den- tal wear in a large (n 5 480), ancient (4,300-3,100 BP), and temporally well-defined population sample. This study specifically examines three interrelated processes of the oral cavity in this population: dental wear, den- tal caries, and periodontal disease. The results show high levels of dental wear (average of 6.1, Smith sys- tem), low frequencies of carious lesions (2.5%), low fre- quencies of periodontal disease (17.8%), and high frequencies of periapical abscesses (10.7%). The patho- logical processes examined here have complicated mul- tifactorial etiologies. However, they all share the common primary etiological agents of facultative path- ogenic bacteria proliferation in the oral biofilm. Inte- gration of the current etiological explanations for infections of the oral cavity, information from the eth- nographic record pertaining to subsistence and activity patterns in Native Californian populations, and statis- tical analysis of specific disease and wear patterns leads to a novel explanation for the observed pattern of oral pathology in this population sample. Specifi- cally, the introduction of antibacterial compounds through dietary items and non-alimentary tooth use is suggested as the most likely explanation for the unusually low prevalence of dental caries and peri- odontal disease. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:171-188

Tissue microarrays are a powerful new tissue-conserving technology in the study of cancer, allowing simultaneous study of a large number of tumor specimens. We sought to ascertain the utility of tissue microarrays in head and neck cancer pathology using squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx as a model system. Whole-specimen slides from 44 different laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas were stained for p53 expression. Microarrays were then generated by taking six 0.6-mm core biopsies from each of the 44 specimens. The whole sections and the microarrays were independently scored for p53 expression. Twenty-three (53%) of the 44 tumor specimens were positive for p53. Forty-four of the 264 core biopsies (17%) were not given a score because of the lack of tumor cells. Seventy-eight percent of the individual discs on the microarray had scores in agreement with those of the whole-section slides. Among biopsy discs with tumor cells present, 94.5% were in agreement with the whole-section slide. The average probability that four randomly chosen biopsy discs, considered together, would accurately identify the presence of p53 staining in a whole section was 0.97 (95% CI.93-1.0). We conclude that tissue microarrays for squamous cell carcinomas can accurately represent immunohistochemical results of whole-slide specimens when four or more samples are used. Tissue microarrays are an important technique that may be applied to immunohistochemical studies of head and neck cancer.

Bioarchaeologists have long noted two unusual trends in the dentitions of prehistoric Native Californian populations: high rates of wear and low prevalence of caries. The Central California site of CA-CCO-548 offers a unique opportunity to examine the relationship between oral pathology and extreme dental wear in a large (n = 480), ancient (4,300–3,100 BP), and temporally well-defined population sample. This study specifically examines three interrelated processes of the oral cavity in this population: dental wear, dental caries, and periodontal disease. The results show high levels of dental wear (average of 6.1, Smith system), low frequencies of carious lesions (2.5%), low frequencies of periodontal disease (17.8%), and high frequencies of periapical abscesses (10.7%). The pathological processes examined here have complicated multifactorial etiologies. However, they all share the common primary etiological agents of facultative pathogenic bacteria proliferation in the oral biofilm. Integration of the current etiological explanations for infections of the oral cavity, information from the ethnographic record pertaining to subsistence and activity patterns in Native Californian populations, and statistical analysis of specific disease and wear patterns leads to a novel explanation for the observed pattern of oral pathology in this population sample. Specifically, the introduction of antibacterial compounds through dietary items and non-alimentary tooth use is suggested as the most likely explanation for the unusually low prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease.

The arrival of Europeans in the New World had profound and long-lasting results for the native peoples. The record for the impact of this fundamental change in culture, society, and biology of Native Americans is well documented historically. This paper reviews the biological impact of the arrival of Europeans on native populations via the study of pre- and postcontact skeletal remains in Spanish Florida, the region today represented by coastal Georgia and northern Florida. The postcontact skeletal series, mostly drawn from Roman Catholic mission sites, are among the most comprehensive in the Americas, providing a compelling picture of adaptation and stress in this setting. Study of paleopathology, dental and skeletal indicators of physiological stress, stable isotope (carbon and nitrogen) analysis, tooth microwear, and skeletal morphology (cross-sectional geometry) reveals major alterations in quality of life and lifestyle. The bioarchaeological record indicates a general deterioration in health, declining dietary diversity and nutritional quality, and increasing workload in the contact period. The impact of contact in Spanish Florida appears to have been more dramatic in comparison with other regions, which likely reflects the different nature of contact relations in this setting versus other areas (e.g., New England, New France). The bioarchaeological record represents an important information source for understanding the dynamics of biocultural change resulting from colonization and conquest.

✓ The purpose of this study was to ascertain how various growth parameters may influence the labeling of SK-MG-1, a human glioma cell line, by BT32/A6, a human immunoglobulin M monoclonal antibody (MAb). By growing SKMG-1 cells at different culture split ratios, significant trends in cell growth rate, culture viability, and cell cycle state were produced. Labeling of SK-MG-1 cells by BT32/A6, however, was shown to be unaffected by culture split ratio (p > 0.05) and is therefore independent of cell growth rate, culture viability, and cell cycle state. Using flow cytometry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, BT32/A6 was shown to label a cell surface antigen on viable, clonogenic cells of SK-MG-1. Approximately 100% of SK-MG-1 cells were shown by flow cytometry to express the BT32/A6 antigen. The recognition of a glioma-associated, cell cycle-independent surface antigen by MAb BT32/A6 makes it a promising candidate for further studies aimed at elucidating its usefulness as an adjunct in the treatment of human malignant gliomas.

Controversy exists about the optimal management of subperiosteal orbital abscesses (SPOAs) in pediatric patients. Some otolaryngologists advocate immediate surgical drainage while others recommend medical management initially and reserve surgery for nonresponders. We hypothesized that patients who can be managed without surgery have identifiable features on presentation that may aid in predicting their response to medical therapy.A retrospective chart review was performed on all patientsor =18 years of age who were admitted to the University of Iowa between 1984 and 2001 with findings consistent with an SPOA on computed tomography imaging. Patients were divided into two groups: group I received medical treatment only while group II underwent surgical drainage of the abscess. Presenting features were compared between the two groups.Forty-two patients were identified with 17 group I patients and 25 group II patients. All patients had resolution of their SPOA and favorable outcomes. The following variables attained significance: group I patients were younger than group II patients (5.1 years versus 11 years; p0.0001), had less restriction of ocular motility (-1.0 versus -2.3), and were hospitalized for fewer days (6.5 days versus 9.6 days; p = 0.011). The following clinical variables did not vary significantly between the groups: gender, side of abscess, temperature, total white blood cell count, neutrophil count, chemosis, visual acuity, and proptosis. Culture results predominantly showed growth of anaerobic organisms (7/23). With increasing age, there was an increase in the number of organisms cultured (p = 0.005).A subset of patients with SPOAs can be managed medically. These patients tend to be younger and present with minimal restriction of ocular motility.

A hypothetical model of the transmembrane (TM) protein of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is proposed that is derived from the known structure of the influenza TM protein HA2. This model is consistent with computer algorithms of predicted protein structure and with known properties of TM proteins determined by sequence homology, site-directed mutations, peptide analogs, immunochemistry, or other biologic means. It is applicable to a wide variety of retroviral TM proteins differing widely in overall molecular weight.