3-D imaging and quantitative comparison of human dentitions and simulated bite marks.

This study presents a technique developed for 3-D imaging and quantitative comparison of human dentitions and simulated bite marks. A sample of 42 study models and the corresponding bites, made by the same subjects in acrylic dental wax, were digitised by laser scanning. This technique allows image comparison of a 3-D dentition with a 3-D bite mark, eliminating distortion due to perspective as experienced in conventional photography. Cartesian co-ordinates of a series of landmarks were used to describe the dentitions and bite marks, and a matrix was created to compare all possible combinations of matches and non-matches using cross-validation techniques. An algorithm, which estimated the probability of a dentition matching its corresponding bite mark, was developed. A receiver operating characteristic graph illustrated the relationship between values for specificity and sensitivity. This graph also showed for this sample that 15% of non-matches could not be distinguished from the true match, translating to a 15% probability of falsely convicting an innocent person.

Axotomy-dependent stimulation of choline acetyltransferase activity by exogenous mouse nerve growth factor in adult rat basal forebrain.

Transection of the adult rat dorsal fornix and fimbria (F-F) induced a sensitivity of the cholinergic neurons in the medial septum and diagonal band (MS/DB) to exogenous mouse nerve growth factor (mNGF). Continuous infusion of mNGF for two weeks after complete unilateral F-F aspiration resulted in a stimulation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-specific activity in precise micro-dissections of the MS/DB ipsilateral to the transection to a level that was 200% higher than that measured in normal adult animals. This supranormal stimulation of ChAT activity reached plateau levels after 10 days of NGF infusion and was dose-dependent with an E.D.50 equal to 120 ng/day. Administration of mNGF had no effect on the ChAT activity in the MS/DB of normal animals or animals with a unilateral transection of only the supracallosal dorsal septo-hippocampal pathway. Partial transection experiments indicated that a predominent pathway for cholinergic neurons potentially sensitive to exogenous mNGF runs in the paramedian F-F. Administration of mNGF also induced a stimulation of ChAT activity in dissections of the caudate-putamen both ipsi- and contralateral to the infusion cannula. This indicates that unlike the cholinergic projection neurons of the MS/DB, adult cholinergic striatal interneurons are sensitive to exogenous NGF without prior axotomy.

Optimal parameters for the histochemical demonstration of acetylcholinesterase in plastic sections of rat brain.

A modified method for improved preservation and optical resolution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-containing structures in adult rat brain is described. Optimal tissue preparation included fixation in paraformaldehyde 4%, glutaraldehyde 0.1%, and sucrose 7% in 0.1M Sorensen's phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, rinsing in buffer 50 mM with respect to NH4Cl and 2% with respect to sucrose, acetone dehydration, vacuum infiltration with LKB Historesin, and polymerization at 4 C, overnight incubation of 10 microns sections at 37 C in the AChE histochemical reaction mixture and silver intensification according to Hedreen et al. Demonstration of AChE enzyme activity in the cholinergic projection from the rat basal forebrain to the ipsilateral hippocampus exemplifies the usefulness of the technique. The method provides an excellent demonstration of AChE-positive axonal processes and enables the pharmacohistochemical visualization of cholinergic neurons. This procedure offers a convenient method for analysis of cholinergic neurons that avoids potential artifacts inherent in other AChE histochemical procedures.

Residual morphogenetic competence in the proximal core region of stage 25 chick limbs: Zwilling's hypothesis revisited.

Morphogenetic competence (MC) exists in embryonic limb tissue once thought to have lost this property as a consequence of cytodifferentiation. By stage 25 of chick embryonic development, cells in the proximal core of the limb have committed to the cartilage phenotype and are producing their characteristic extracellular matrix. Recombinant limb-bud grafts constructed using isolated fragments of this tissue produce outgrowths with a limb-like skeletal pattern. Inclusion of proximal peripheral tissue in the grafts (with or without the polarizing tissue) inhibits outgrowth and skeletal morphogenesis, explaining the failure of earlier studies to reveal the MC of the proximal core (chondrogenic) cells. Since definitive chondroblasts express MC in more permissive surroundings, it appears that Zwilling's assertion, that the onset of cytodifferentiation causes the loss of MC, is an oversimplification and that complex tissue interactions are probably involved.