Evaluation of Radicular Dentin Thickness of Danger Zone in Mandibular First Molars

Objective: Better understanding of the furcation anatomy may serve to decrease the risk of root perforation. The purpose of this study was to measure the thickness of root walls in the danger zone in mandibular first molars.Materials and Methods: The roots of 53 extracted human mandibular first molars were sectioned in the horizontal plane 4 mm below the orifice of the mesial and distal root canals.For each cut surface buccal, lingual, mesial, and distal thickness of the root wall wasmeasured. Mean values of the thickness at each location were calculated and compared by ANOVA and t-test.Results: The results showed that the mean thickness in the distal portion of the mesial root was smaller in comparison to all other portions of the roots (P<0.05) and this difference was statistically significant except for the mesial portion of the distal root (P=0.463). The mean thickness of radicular dentin at the distal aspect of mesial roots was 1.2 millimeter.Conclusion: Our study suggests that knowledge of the root dentin thickness in the danger zone is essential for preventing endodontic mishaps leading to failure

Preserving and Using Germplasm and Dissociated Embryonic Cells for Conserving Caribbean and Pacific Coral

Coral reefs are experiencing unprecedented degradation due to human activities, and protecting specific reef habitats may not stop this decline, because the most serious threats are global (i.e., climate change), not local. However, ex situ preservation practices can provide safeguards for coral reef conservation. Specifically, modern advances in cryobiology and genome banking could secure existing species and genetic diversity until genotypes can be introduced into rehabilitated habitats. We assessed the feasibility of recovering viable sperm and embryonic cells post-thaw from two coral species, Acropora palmata and Fungia scutaria that have diffferent evolutionary histories, ecological niches and reproductive strategies. In vitro fertilization (IVF) of conspecific eggs using fresh (control) spermatozoa revealed high levels of fertilization (>90% in A. palmata; >84% in F. scutaria; P>0.05) that were unaffected by tested sperm concentrations. A solution of 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at cooling rates of 20 to 30°C/min most successfully cryopreserved both A. palmata and F. scutaria spermatozoa and allowed producing developing larvae in vitro. IVF success under these conditions was 65% in A. palmata and 53% in F. scutaria on particular nights; however, on subsequent nights, the same process resulted in little or no IVF success. Thus, the window for optimal freezing of high quality spermatozoa was short (∼5 h for one night each spawning cycle). Additionally, cryopreserved F. scutaria embryonic cells had∼50% post-thaw viability as measured by intact membranes. Thus, despite some differences between species, coral spermatozoa and embryonic cells are viable after low temperature (−196°C) storage, preservation and thawing. Based on these results, we have begun systematically banking coral spermatozoa and embryonic cells on a large-scale as a support approach for preserving existing bio- and genetic diversity found in reef systems