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Evidence suggests that using magnification loupes will improve the posture of dental clinicians, thus decreasing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this case study was to document the experiences of a dental hygienist during a four week acclimatization period. Methods: Documentation was comprised of self-reports from the dental hygienist's reflective journaling and postural measurements made by a trained observer using Branson's Posture Assessment Instrument (BPAI), a validated posture assessment instrument. Journal reports and postural measurements were made prior to the use of the magnification loupes and over the subsequent three week trial. Conclusion: Use of the magnification loupes was a positive experience. The BPAI results indicated a positive change in neck and low back posture. Further trials of the effectiveness of magnification loupes in reducing musculoskeletal disorders with this occupational group are recommended.

Stromal vascular cells from epididymal fat pads of lean and obese mice were cultured in a medium (alpha-MEM) containing fetal bovine serum (FBS) and cell replication followed for 11 days. In both types of cells, confluence occurred at 4-5 days, after which virtual growth arrest occurred in lean-mouse cells while replication continued, albeit at a slower rate in obese-mouse cells. Little or no lipid accumulation or glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity was observed under these conditions. When a differentiation mixture consisting of insulin, corticosterone and isobutylmethylxanthine was added to the serum-containing alpha-MEM, a proportion of the lean-mouse cells accumulated triglycerides and GPDH activity increased significantly, indicating differentiation. By contrast, little or no differentiation occurred in obese-mouse cells. When cells grown in serum-containing alpha-MEM were transferred to a serum-free defined medium at confluence, extensive differentiation and maturation occurred in lean-mouse cells but not in obese-mouse cells. Similar experiments were conducted in cells isolated from the retroperitoneal fat pad. Although the growth pattern was similar to that of epididymal preadipocytes, the retroperitoneal lean- and obese-mouse cells differentiated more readily than epididymal cells, as shown by the GPDH specific activity. These data suggest that cells from obese mice are resistant to differentiation under conditions that support extensive differentiation in lean-mouse cells.

The neuroprotective action of (S)‐α‐phenyl‐2‐pyridineethanamine dihydrochloride (FPL 15896AR), a novel noncompetitive N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, was examined in primary rat cortical neuronal cultures. Exposure of cortical cultures to NMDA (50 µM) or glutamate (50 µM) for 15 min resulted in the death of 85–95% of the neurons during the next 24 h. This neurotoxicity was completely eliminated by adding FPL 15896AR (50 µM) to the cultures during the time of NMDA or glutamate exposure. Neuroprotective concentrations of FPL 15896AR also inhibited other acute effects of NMDA. FPL 15896AR (50 µM) prevented the loss of membrane‐associated protein kinase C activity that developed by 4 h after transient exposure to 50 µM NMDA or 50 µM glutamate. FPL 15896AR also reduced by ∼35% the magnitude of NMDA‐triggered increases in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration in the cortical cultures. These data indicate that NMDA‐mediated toxicity in cultured cortical neurons can be blocked by the NMDA antagonist FPL 15896AR.

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