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Statement of Problem: Trajectories of different condylar points provide different interpretations of condylar movement during open-close jaw movements. Movement of the working-side condyle is often assessed clinically by recording the trajectory of a single arbitrary condylar point., Purpose: This study examined the effect of the differences in condylar point location on condylar point movement trajectories during a working-side movement., Methods: Different points exhibited different trajectories during a single working-side movement in each of 44 subjects., Results: Up to 40% of a point's displacement could be attributed simply to the location of the point., Conclusions: Interpretation of condylar movement on the working side within a subject depends on the point chosen.

We report a novel method for the measurement of urinary daidzein that is suitable for assessment of dietary soya exposure. The method incorporates the following features: (i) a highly specific monoclonal antibody to daidzein (clone 4E4) raised through the 7 position of daidzein and (ii) a europium labeled ovalbumin daidzein conjugate. In the present format, dilute urine samples of subjects who ingested soy milk are hydrolyzed with beta-glucuronidase for 30 min on rabbit anti-mouse coated plates. Afterwards, the specific monoclonal antibody to daidzein, clone 4E4, and europium labeled ovalbumin daidzein conjugate are added. After 1 h incubation, the wall bound fluorescence of europium is measured by time resolved fluorescence and is inversely proportional to the concentration of daidzein over the range 0.1-10 ng daidzein/well. The method demonstrates good sensitivity, precision and comparability with the chemical method GC-FID. Unlike the chemical method, the present immunoassay technique for daidzein is applicable for the measurement of large amounts of samples in epidemiological studies for the assessment and monitoring of human exposure to soya food.

The synthesis and purification by high pressure liquid chromatography of a novel biotinoyl-diaminodioxaoctane-estradiol conjugate is described. The conjugate was used for the development of an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the direct determination of estradiol in human plasma. This assay was characterized by a low limit of detection (77 pM) and a broad working range. Estradiol concentrations ranging from 77 to 24300 pM, i.e. from the lower levels observed in the follicular phase of the normal menstrual cycle to the very high levels attained during hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization, could be determined directly in undiluted plasma samples. Intra-assay variation ranged from 3.6 to 10.9% and interassay variation from 6.1 to 12%. The results obtained by the present EIA correlate well with target values obtained by isotope-dilution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (r = 0.96) and with results obtained by a direct RIA (r = 0.97). The EIA requires no special apparatus, is simple, fast and robust, and could be applied in any clinical laboratory.

Two imaging methods are useful in diagnosing internal derangements of the temporomandibular joint: arthrography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Clinical and pseudodynamic MRI findings of 200 temporomandibular joints in 100 patients were evaluated and compared. In 66.5% of the joints, there was a positive correlation between both diagnostic methods. MRI showed the possibility to correct the clinical diagnosis in more than half of the remaining joints. The other half of the joints are a source of discussion and suggest that MRI has some difficulties in detecting the exact disk position, especially in joints with an anterior disk displacement with early reduction. MRI revealed degenerative changes in 43.5% of the joints. They were often seen in joints with a disk displacement without reduction, even in young patients. Pseudodynamic MRI is especially useful in the differential diagnosis of a "closed lock" and should certainly be done when disk surgery is planned.