ALBERT

Description: ABSTRACT A simple procedure, which enables accurate measurement of transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/STEM probe currents using an energy loss spectrometer drift tube is described. The currents obtained are compared with those measured on the fluorescent screen to enable the losses due to secondary and backscattered electrons to be determined. The current values obtained from the drift tube allow the correction of fluorescent screen current densities to yield true current. They also enable CCD conversion efficiencies to be obtained, which in turn allows images to be calibrated in terms of electron fluence. Using probes of known current in conjunction with a NiO reference specimen enables the X-ray detector solid angle to be determined. The NiO specimen also allows a wide range of other EDS detector parameters to be obtained, including the presence of ice and carbon contamination. A range of performance characteristics are reported for two large area EDS detector systems. Many of the measurements reported herein have been automated via the use of freely available scripts for DigitalMicrograph. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: The presence of denticles in the external surface, oral cavity, fins, and clasper of Elasmobranchii has been widely reported. These structures, called body denticles, may be observed on the body surface of sharks. Dermal and oral denticles are made up by a basal plate that is embedded in the dermis, forming a peduncle that grows from the base to the crown. These denticles may protect the skin against abrasion, and improve hydrodynamics and gill arches function. Rhizoprionodon lalandii is a widely distributed and very common species in Brazilian coastal areas. The aims of this study was to compare the morphology of oral and body denticles of R. lalandii to understand the implications of these structures in the behavior of these animals. Morphological analysis showed that there are differences between dermal and oral denticles, which are related to their role in different body regions. Body denticles have three cusps, and well-defined crests and ridges, and literature data suggest that suggest that hydrodynamics is their main function. Most of the oral denticles have only one cusp, and their morphology and distribution showed that their main functions are preparing food to be swallowed and protecting the oral cavity against abrasion. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: ABSTRACT Objectives This study investigated the effects of sliding on the ultrastructure of three representative esthetic superelastic 0.014 inch nickel-titanium (NiTi) archwires. Methods : Atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and light microscopy were used to estimate the surface roughness of archwires and bracket systems. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to estimate the molecular differences between coated and uncoated areas. A combination of four different types of 0.014 inch metallic wires and two different types of 0.022 inch × 0.028 inch conventional brackets were evaluated by in vitro sliding tests using a novel self-made tensile-strength tester with a miniature load cell and syringe pump. The NiTi wires included an uncoated NiTi archwire (CO group), epoxy resin-coated NiTi archwire (ER group), Teflon ® -coated NiTi archwire (TF group), and Ag/biopolymer-coated NiTi archwire (AG group). The brackets included contained stainless steel (SS) and ceramic (CE) brackets. Results : Both ER and TF wire groups exhibited less surface roughness than CO wire groups. The AG group showed the highest surface roughness compared with the others because of its silver particles ( P 〈0.001, ANOVA test). In vitro sliding tests led to a significant increase ( P  〈 0.001, ANOVA test) in the surface roughness of all 0.014 inch NiTi wires regardless of bracket type. The wire groups combined with SS brackets were rougher than those of CE brackets regardless of the coating materials because of exfoliation of the coating materials. The TF-SS group showed the highest increase (fivefold) in surface roughness compared to the others, while the ER groups showed the lowest increase (1.4-fold) in surface roughness compared with the others ( P  〈 0.001, ANOVA test). Conclusions : The results suggested that the sliding-driven surface roughness of superelastic NiTi archwires is directly affected by coating materials. Although the efficiency of orthodontic treatment was affected by various factors, epoxy resin-coated archwires were best for both esthetics and tooth movement when only considering surface roughness. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate effectiveness and effects of bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide with and without calcium on color, micromorphology, and the replacement of calcium and phosphate on the enamel surface. Thirty bovine enamel blocks (5.0 × 5.0 mm) were placed into the following groups: G1: artificial saliva (control); G2: 35% hydrogen peroxide gel without calcium (Whiteness HP Maxx–FGM); and G3: 35% hydrogen peroxide gel with calcium (Whiteness HP Blue–FGM). Three color measurements were performed with a spectrophotometer: untreated (baseline), after performing staining, and after application of bleaching agents. Calcium deposition on the enamel was evaluated before and after the application of bleaching agents using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The enamel surface micromorphology was observed under scanning electron microscopy. The pH of each product was measured. The data were subjected to one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA), and any differences were analyzed using Tukey's test ( P  〈 0.05). G3 showed greater variation in total color after the experiment than G2 and G1; there was no significant difference in calcium or phosphorus concentration before and after the experimental procedures; morphological changes were observed only in G2 and G3; and the pH values of the Whiteness HP Maxx and Whiteness HP Blue bleaching agents were 5.77 and 7.79, respectively. The 35% hydrogen peroxide with calcium showed greater bleaching potential, but the addition of calcium had no effect in terms of reducing morphological changes or increasing the calcium concentration on the enamel surface. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: ABSTRACT Previous articles have pointed out the presence of type III collagen within the extracellular structure of the parenchymatous organs. This study aimed to quantitatively characterize the collagen polymorphism at the capsule and parenchymal trabeculae of the largest lymphoid organ of the body i.e., the spleen, in mouse, rat, and rabbit models. Following a Picrosirius Red-Polarization procedure and computer assisted image analysis of paraffin sections, the results showed (1) a predominant and significantly higher amount of type III collagen in the trabeculae area compared to the capsule area in the three species, (2) no statistical difference among the three species concerning the parenchymal collagen polymorphism or the type I/type III collagen ratio, (3) a heterogeneous type I/type III collagen ratio varying from 0.86 (mouse) to 6.62 (rabbit) in the fibromuscular capsule region. A qualitative analysis corroborated these histomorphometric results. In conclusion, the spleen may be used as (1) a control tissue to qualitatively visualize type I and III collagen under polarization microscopy and to validate the quality of PSR staining (2) an aid to accurately calibrate the angle of polarization before quantitative measurements of type I and type III collagen. Among the studied species, the rabbit spleen appeared to be the most appropriate control tissue as it showed the highest amount of type I collagen in the capsule and a similarly high amount of type III collagen in the parenchymal trabeculae. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: ABSTRACT Physiological oral mechanical forces may play a role on the progression of enamel carious lesions to cavitation. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe, by 3D finite element analysis, stress, and strain patterns in sound and carious enamel after a simulated occlusal load. Micro-CT based models were created and meshed with tetrahedral elements (based on an extracted third molar), namely: a sound (ST) and a carious tooth (CT). For the CT, enamel material properties were assigned according to the micro-CT gray values. Below the threshold corresponding to the enamel lesion (2.5 g/cm 3 ) lower and isotropic elastic modulus was assigned ( E  = 18 GPa against E 1  = 80 GPa, E 2  =  E 3  = 20 GPa for sound enamel). Both models were imported into a FE solver where boundary conditions were assigned and a pressure load (500 MPa) was applied at the occlusal surface. A linear static analysis was performed, considering anisotropy in sound enamel. ST showed a more efficient transfer of maximum principal stress from enamel to the dentin layer, while for the CT, enamel layer was subjected to higher and concentrated loads. Maximum principal strain distributions were seen at the carious enamel surface, especially at the central fossa, correlating to the enamel cavity seen at the original micro-CT model. It is possible to conclude that demineralized enamel compromises appropriate stress transfer from enamel to dentin, contributing to the odds of fracture and cavitation. Enamel fracture over a dentin lesion may happen as one of the normal pathways to caries progression and may act as a confounding factor during clinical diagnostic decisions. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: ABSTRACT We have developed a real-time imaging technique for diagnosis of kidney diseases which is composed of two steps, staining renal cells safely with food dyes and optical sectioning of living renal tissue to obtain histological images by multiphoton microscopy (MPM). Here, we demonstrated that the MPM imaging with food dyes, including erythrosine and indigo carmine, could be used as fluorescent agents to visualize renal functions and structures such as glomerular bloodstreams, glomerular filtration, and morphology of glomeruli and renal tubules. We also showed that the kidneys of IgA nephropathy model-mice stained with the food dyes presented histopathological characteristics different from those observed in normal kidneys. The use of the food dyes enhances the quality of tissue images obtained by MPM and offers the potential to contribute to a clinical real-time diagnosis of kidney diseases. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: ABSTRACT Telenomus dendrolimusi Chu is a dominant egg parasitoid of Dendrolimus , which is the most serious conifer defoliator in China. However, the host locating mechanism of T. dendrolimusi is unclear. To take better advantage of this kind of parasitoid, it is necessary to clarify the basic knowledge of the organization of the wasp's sensory system. In this study, the external morphologies of the sensilla on the entire female and male T. dendrolimusi body were described using scanning electron microscopy. Antennae shape and sensilla types were sexually dimorphic. Ten segments and nine types of sensilla were found on the female antenna, including basiconic sensillum (BS), chaeticum sensillum (ChS), trichoid sensillum type 1 (TS1), trichoid sensillum type 2 (TS2), trichoid curvata sensillum (TCS), sickle-shaped sensillum (SSS), multiporous gustatory sensillum (MGS), campaniform sensillum (CS), and styloconica sensillum (STS). The distribution of the sensilla was directional on female antenna. The male antenna consisted of 12 segments, and 1–3 segments were similar to those of the female. Five types of sensilla were found on male antenna, including BS, ChS, TS1, TCS, and STS. The mouthparts, thoracic legs, eyes, mesonotum, and wings were all covered with longitudinally fluted TSs without hole. A tympana structure appeared on the thoracic legs. Special crevice-shaped structures were found on the abdomens of both T. dendrolimusi sexes. Possible sensilla functions are discussed according to their morphology. These results provide a solid basis for further researches about the parasitic mechanisms of T. dendrolimusi . Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: Endothelial glycocalyx (GCX) is located on the apical surface of vascular endothelial cells and is composed of a negatively-charged network of proteoglycans and glycoproteins. The GCX plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of vascular walls and preventing leakage of plasma. Therefore, degradation of the GCX is believed to lead to pathological leakage of plasma. Because the GCX is a very thin layer, its ultrastructural image has been demonstrated on electron microscope. To explore the function of the GCX, it should be visualized by a microscope in vivo. Thus, we developed in vivo visualization technique of the GCX under fluorescence microscopy using a mouse dorsal skinfold chamber (DSC) model. To label and visualize the GCX, we used fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled lectin, which has a high specificity for sugar moieties. We examined the affinity of the different lectins to epivascular regions under an intravital fluorescent microscope. Among seven different lectins we examined, FITC labeled Triticum vulgaris (wheat germ) agglutinin (WGA) delineated the GCX most clearly. Binding of WGA to the GCX was inhibited by chitin hydrolysate, which contained WGA-binding polysaccharide chains. Furthermore, the septic condition attenuated this structure, suggesting structural degradation of endothelial GCX layer. In conclusion, FITC-labeled WGA lectin enabled visualization of endothelial GCX under in vivo fluorescence microscopy. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to analyze, by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the morphology of sealant/enamel interface after surface treatment with Biosilicate. Before pits and fissures sealing, the occlusal surfaces of 10 sound human molars were sectioned perpendicularly at the fissures in order to obtain three slices for each tooth. Slices were randomly assigned into three groups ( n  = 10) according to sealing protocol: Group 1- Acid etching + Biosilicate + glass ionomer-based sealant (Clinpro XT Varnish, 3M ESPE); Group 2- Acid etching + glass ionomer-based sealant (Clinpro XT Varnish, 3M ESPE); Group 3- No sealing. All slices were subjected to thermal cycling (5,000 cycles; 5–55°C; dwell time: 30s). Half of the slices from each group ( n  = 5) were analyzed by CLSM and the other half by SEM. Groups 1 and 2 were also submitted to EDS analysis and their data were evaluated by Two-Way ANOVA e Tukey's test (α=5%). EDS data analysis showed higher amounts of silicon (Si) ions than calcium (Ca) ions in Group 1 ( P  〈 0.05); Group 2 presented higher amounts ( P  〈 0.05) of Ca ions than Si ions. It may be concluded that the use of Biosilicate for surface treatment did not affect the morphology of glass ionomer-based sealant/enamel interfaces. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2015 . © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.