It is known that muscle damage produced by eccentric exercise wil

It is known that muscle damage produced by eccentric exercise will shift the sarcomere length and will cause less force production at longer muscle angle [26] however, we only tested isometric force production at one muscle length ABT-263 solubility dmso (60° of knee

flexion) which may not have exhibited as much of a force decrement compared to testing at a longer muscle length. If we had tested muscle force production at longer muscle lengths it is feasible that we would have observed a significant difference in muscle strength which would be a non-invasive method of assessing muscle damage as previously reported by Warren et al. [27]. Previous studies have indicated that peak torque decrements of 15–43% occur as a result of eccentrically induced muscle damage [28,29]. In our study from day 1 to day 2 there was only approximately a

5% decrease in isometric muscle torque with a return to baseline on day 3 which suggests that there was minimal, if any, muscle damage on day 1 to produce a significant force decrement. Thus, our results indicate that the participants were not giving a maximal effort but it was in fact a submaximal effort. Also, check details even though our results indicate that DOMS was increased, Nosaka et al. [30] have shown that DOMS is not a good reflection of muscle damage as induced by eccentric exercise. Furthermore, we did analyze myoglobin levels in the blood samples as well (data not shown) which indicated that in the majority of the samples that no protein was present which again suggests that muscle damage did not occur and thus the participants were giving a sub-maximal effort. Thus, the sub-maximal effort given by the participants in this study was

the likely reason for a lack of an inflammatory response. Although there was no measured inflammatory response in this study, our results are in agreement with previous studies performed that suggest there is no inflammatory reaction to eccentric cycling or downhill running exercise [31,32]. Further research out of the same laboratory indicated there is no difference in the expression Hydroxychloroquine concentration of inflammatory markers in muscle and epimysium at 48 h after downhill running compared to a control group but, upregulation of leukocytes in the blood after eccentric exercise [33] was observed. The lack of response of the cytokines that were measured in this study does suggest that there was no inflammatory reaction that occurred due to the exercise intervention; however, as mentioned previously there may have been a transient increase in the cytokines measured which was undetected due to the timing of the blood draws. Indeed, Croisier et al.

6 compares the contrast of the two systems in terms of luminance

6 compares the contrast of the two systems in terms of luminance level. The contrast of the thick parts in the digital system is inferior to that of film. As it is known that the logarithmic response of films in conventional radiography approximately compensate for the exponential attenuation function, equal absorber thickness changes will results in approximately equal brightness changes [21]. As a

majority of the digital systems adopt the linear gray-scale response to radiation exposure, CX-5461 solubility dmso some kind of compensation will be needed for the exponential attenuation function of the X-ray to improve human visual perception with the digital systems [21]. A PC test has shown that appropriate correction for attenuation and visual response increases maximum contrast information content of the system [22]. Standard measurement techniques exist to allow the quantification of the physical properties of the radiographic systems which affect image quality (resolution, contrast and noise) [5]. In addition to this, physical model for human contrast sensitivity has been proposed [23]. Using these methods it is possible to theoretically calculate psychophysical

properties of the radiographic systems from their physical properties. De Belder also presented an expression to predict PCs that gives the probability that an average observer will perceive a certain exposure difference [7]. The following expression for digital radiography can be derived from the original definition selleck chemicals for a PC: equation(3) ((Δlog E)min)−1=γ(ΔG)minwhere γ is the gradient of the dose response function of the imaging system. Using this equation, a simplified method to predict PCs of digital intraoral radiographic systems was developed [24]. γ can be simply calculated from the dose response function and (ΔG)min can be calculated using the physical model for human contrast sensitivity including

the effects of internal and external noises. Since contrast and noise properties of the imaging system are included together with human contrast sensitivity function, psychophysical properties of the imaging system can be calculated by this equation. It clearly shows the close relationship selleck chemical between physical and psychophysical properties. Eqs. (2) and (3) imply that contrast information content can be calculated from some physical properties of the system and physical model for human contrast sensitivity [23]. Thus, the numbers of object details that the observers can perceive are calculated with regard to radiographs of the aluminum step phantom. Fig. 7 shows the correlation between calculated numbers of object details from digital radiographs and actual observer data. The correlation coefficient is remarkably high (r = 0.98). In addition, the inclination of the regression line is approximately 45° indicating that the calculated numbers of object details are very close to the actual observer performance [25].

Previous reports have shown that synovitis is characterized by in

Previous reports have shown that synovitis is characterized by infiltration of inflammatory cells, and increases in new capillaries and small vessels. Similarly, several molecules categorized as inflammatory factors, catabolic enzymes, osteoclast differentiation factors, nociceptors and signal transducers were also up-regulated in FLS on microarray analysis. Previously, the gene expression of catabolic enzymes such as MMP-1, -2 and -3, and ADAMTS-4 and -5 was confirmed

to be up-regulated in FLS after mechanical stress Caspase-dependent apoptosis [131]. This suggests that excess mechanical compressive stress such as clenching or bruxism up-regulates the mRNA expression of MMPs and ADAMSTs in FLS, and induces inflammation and tissue degradation in synovium, and may then promote osteoarthritis of the TMJ [131]. In addition, M-CSF, which is critical for the proliferation and survival of macrophages and osteoclast precursors, was up-regulated Nintedanib supplier in FLS treatment with IL-1β and TNF-α. These regulated genes may be associated with the pathology of painful and dysfunctional ID or OA in TMJ. Our data support the notion that one of the reasons behind synovitis induction is the increased levels of IL-1β and/or TNF-α in the synovial fluids of patients (Fig. 8). Among the top 10 up-regulated factors, most molecules are well characterized and have been investigated in the inflammatory

responses and tissue destruction associated with joint diseases such as RA and OA, but some molecules such as GCH1 remain unclear. Recently, numerous molecules have been detected by in silico identification using genetic databases. For instance, the IL-1 family has grown impressively in size, complexity and division of labor. IL-1 family ligands include seven molecules with agonist activity (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-18, IL-33, IL-36α, IL-36β and IL-36γ), three receptor antagonists (IL-1Ra, IL-36Ra and IL-38) and an anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-37) [132]. These new cytokines and their associated signaling pathways have been implicated in the pathogenesis of RA, and could be targeted to offer new therapeutic

options for RA therapy. Currently, numerous underlying pathways remain unknown, but recent efforts have begun to increase our understanding. Nevertheless, better understanding of these interactions and signaling GBA3 in inflammatory and dysfunctional settings will be crucial for the discovery of new therapeutic targets that will enable us to design more suitable treatments for patients who do not respond to conventional therapies. There are no conflicts of interest associated with this review. This study was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (c) (14571915, 19592318, 22592230, and 25463099) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The authors gratefully acknowledge Ono Pharmaceutical for generously providing the specific EP receptor agonists. The authors would also like to thank Prof.

All material was analysed using an Agilent 1100 Series HPLC syste

All material was analysed using an Agilent 1100 Series HPLC system, with degasser G1379A, quaternary pump G1311A, manual injector G1328B and a Rheodyne 7725i injection valve. Both the semi-preparative column (250 mm × 9.4 mm) and the analytical column (150 mm × 4.6 mm) were Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 columns (5 μm) and were kept at room temperature during the analysis. The mobile phase was methanol: water (85:15, CHIR-99021 in vitro v/v). The flow rates were 3 mL/min (200-μL loop) for semi-preparative isolation and 0.7 mL/min (5-μL loop) for analytical control (solutions were at 0.5 mg/mL).

Detection was performed at 220 nm with UV detector G1314A. In order to avoid chemical interference, the solvent was carefully monitored in the UV. In the case of semi-preparative purification, all fractions obtained were submitted to rotary evaporator and freeze-dried for later analysis. All analytical HPLC determinations were conducted in duplicate. 1H and 13C spectra were measured on a Bruker AMX 200

spectrometer (Bruker BioSpin GmbH, Rheinstetten, Germany) at 200 and 75 MHz, respectively. Solvent was chloroform-d (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany). A standard solution was used to quantify the mixture of free diterpenes in the hydrolysed green coffee oils. The standard (a cafestol/kahweol mixture) was initially obtained from basic methanolysis of the green Arabica coffee oil by conventional heating, with the aid of HPLC semi-preparative isolation of 1 and 2. The purity of the selleck chemicals llc isolated compounds was estimated by 1H NMR analysis. A stock solution of the cafestol/kahweol mixture (7.7 mg/mL) was diluted in methanol to construct the calibration curve with 6 different concentrations, prepared on the same day as the injections (1–56 μg/mL). Selleckchem Nutlin-3 All determinations were conducted in duplicate. Analyses and peak identification by LC–HRESIMS and MS/MS were performed on a Waters Alliance HT 2795 HPLC system

coupled to a QTOF Micro (Waters, Manchester, UK) mass spectrometer equipped with an ESI source. The analyses were carried out using the same column and isocratic elution described for the analytical HPLC method, with addition of 0.1% formic acid in the mobile phase. The column eluent was split at a ratio of 5:1. LC–MS TIC chromatograms were recorded between m/z 90 and 1000 in positive ion mode, and the mass spectrometer parameters were maintained the same in all analyses. The nebulisation gas was set to 500 L/h at 140 °C, the cone gas set to 50 L/h, and the source temperature set to 100 °C. The capillary voltage and cone voltage were 4000 and 30 V, respectively. The QTOF acquisition rate was set to 1.0 s, with a 0.4 s inter-scan delay. Analytes were acquired using LockSpray to ensure mass accuracy.

The highest activities were obtained for cheeses from Cachoeirinh

The highest activities were obtained for cheeses from Cachoeirinha and Venturosa against E. faecalis, B. subtilis, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. López-Expósito, Gómez-Ruiz, Amigo, and Recio (2006) reported that the majority of peptides derived from casein with antimicrobial activity are in the range 3–50 amino acids, which are in the same molecular weight range found in

this work (800–3500 Da). Some authors have NLG919 cost reported that various peptides derived from milk casein have antimicrobial properties, such as casecidins obtained by chymosin digestion of αs1-casein which were intended for therapeutic use to treat infectious diseases. These peptides have bactericidal activity against a wide range of Gram-positive bacteria of health significance including staphylococci,

Sarcina spp., B. subtilis, Diplococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes ( Clare & Swaisgood, 2000). Isracidin is another antimicrobial peptide released by chymosin cleavage of bovine αs1-casein, which consists of a 23-amino acid-residue fragment called f(1–23). This cationic peptide has been reported to be active in vitro against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria ( Hayes, Ross, Fitzgerald, click here Hill, & Stanton, 2006). This type of peptide was also found within the known peptides contained in the WSP extracts from “Coalho” cheeses. Recently, Pritchard et al. (2010) evaluated the antimicrobial activity of peptide extracts of Australian Cheddar cheeses and found activity against E. coli and Bacillus cereus. In addition, Italian cheese water-soluble Cyclooxygenase (COX) peptides have shown high antimicrobial activity against various bacteria including E. coli, Bacillus megaterium, Listeria innocua, and S. aureus ( Rizzello

et al., 2005). Finally, the antimicrobial peptides from “Coalho” cheeses like other cheeses studied present the advantage of being derived from a harmless source, and may have therefore a great potential for use in preventive medicine or the food industry. These findings showed that all water-soluble peptides (WSP) extracts from artisanal “Coalho” cheeses exhibited bioactivity. The peptides had high activities in all bioactive properties analysed. Although it has been difficult to compare the antioxidant capacity with the data from the literature due to the diversity of methodologies used, “Coalho” cheese seems to be a potential source of antioxidant peptides. The bioavailability of zinc in the body can be increased by the peptides from Brazilian cheese. The antimicrobial activity presented by WSP extracts can be an additional advantage during the production process, reducing possibly the contamination of milk foods and derivatives and increasing the shelf-life of the product. “Coalho” cheese peptides can represent a source of health-enhancing components that may be considered as functional foods or incorporated in pharmaceutical or nutraceutical preparations.

The quantification was based on the calibration curve of gallic a

The quantification was based on the calibration curve of gallic acid (2.0–8.0 mg/L), and the results were expressed in mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g sample. The total flavonoid contents were determined in both the FE and

BMS-777607 order fruit extracts, by reaction with AlCl3 according to Zhishen, Mengcheng, and Jianming (1999). Briefly, the extracts were added to an aqueous solution of NaNO2 21.7 mM (final concentration). After 5 min, AlCl3 22.5 mM (final concentration) was added to the extract, and after 6 min, NaOH 0.2 M (final concentration) was added followed by measurement at 510 nm. The quantification was carried out with a calibration curve of catechin (5.0–20.0 mg/L), and the results were expressed in mg catechin equivalent (CE)/100 g sample. The monomeric anthocyanin (MA) contents were determined in both the FE and fruit extracts, through the differential pH method (Lee, Durst, & Wrolstad, 2005). MA content was calculated as equivalent of cyanidin 3-glucoside (cyd 3-glu), Temsirolimus chemical structure considering the molecular weight (MW) of 449.2 g/mol and molar absorption coefficient (ε) of 26,900 L/mol cm. To determine the contents of tannins, the phenolic extract and FE were initially precipitated with BSA.

After 15 min, the precipitate was collected and re-dissolved in an aqueous solution containing 34.7 mM of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), 5%v/v triethanolamine and 20%v/v isopropanol. This solution was added to an acidic solution (HCl 2 mM final concentration) of FeCl3 (final concentration of 2 mM), kept for 15–30 min, followed by an absorbance measurement at 510 nm (Waterman & Mole, 1994). The quantification was based on the calibration curve of tannic acid (0.2–1.2 mg/L), and the results expressed as mg tannic acid medroxyprogesterone equivalent (TAE)/100 g sample. The anthocyanins from the fruit extract and FE were separated on a C18 Shim-pack CLC-ODS column (5 μm, 250 × 4.6 mm i.d.) (Shimadzu, Canby, USA), using as mobile

phase a linear gradient of water/methanol, both with 5%v/v formic acid, from 90:10 to 60:40 in 20 min, passing to 20:80 in 15 min and keeping this proportion for 5 min. The other phenolic compounds were separated on a C18(2) Luna column (5 μm, 250 × 4.6 mm i.d.) (Phenomenex, Torrance, USA), using as mobile phase a linear gradient of water/acetonitrile, both with 2%v/v formic acid, from 93:7 to 86:14 in 25 min, passing to 80:20 in 10 min, to 70:30 in 7 min, and to 20:80 in 13 min, and keeping this proportion for 3 min. In both analyses, the flow rate was set at 0.9 mL/min and the column temperature was maintained at 29 °C. The UV–Vis spectra were acquired between 200 and 600 nm and the chromatograms were processed at 280, 320, 360 and 520 nm. After passing through the cell of the DAD, the flow from the column was split, allowing only 0.15 mL/min into the ESI source.

The decreased expression of CD11b could be caused by the attachme

The decreased expression of CD11b could be caused by the attachment of monocytes with this adhesion marker to the endothelium. Our results on CD11b expression are consistent with the results from a 2-hour inhalation exposure of healthy subjects to ultrafine carbon

particles, where the subjects had lower expression of adhesion molecules CD11b/CD18 on monocytes and CD11b/CD18 and CD49d on granulocytes (Frampton et al., 2006). By contrast, chronic biomass smoke exposure was associated with increased www.selleckchem.com/products/epz-6438.html surface expression of CD11b/CD18 in circulating granulocytes and monocytes in women (Ray et al., 2006). A detailed assessment of the indoor source activities in the homes of the subjects in the present study showed that candle burning, cooking and toasting resulted in increased Veliparib mouse PNC and were responsible on average for 51% of the residential integrated exposure (Bekö et al., 2013). Candle burning occurred in half of the homes where, on average, it was responsible for almost 60% of the integrated exposure (Bekö et al., 2013). Yet, the exposure assessed as total average PNC was very closely correlated with exposure assessed specifically in relation to candle burning, which also showed the same significant associations with lower lung function and with higher HbA1c and leukocyte counts.

Cooking contributed much less to event-related exposure and was not associated with any health outcome. This was the case, possibly because cooking events were of relatively short duration and they occurred in kitchens with fume hoods and

at a certain distance from the monitor placed in the living room. Accordingly, exposure to emissions from candles and possibly similar indoor sources might contribute to decreased lung function and inflammatory activation of leukocytes. Candle burning also emits nitrogen dioxide, which could contribute to the association related to lower lung function. The lack of association between lung function and whether or not candles are used in the homes of the participants in general suggests that if the association with the candle burning source events is causal, it would be a short-term effect of high level exposure. Etomidate Moreover, individuals with asthma could well be more susceptible, in line with decrements in lung function related to traffic related PNC (McCreanor et al., 2007 and Strak et al., 2012). A limitation of our exposure assessment is that we did not analyze the composition of indoor and outdoor PM, which might have helped explaining the different associations with the health outcomes we observed in our study population. However, indoor and outdoor PNC were inversely correlated, whereas the indoor particle mean diameter was correlated with outdoor particle mean diameter and PM mass. This might have suggested that only larger particles from ambient air contributed to indoor levels, but this was not reflected in correlations between indoor and outdoor PM2.5.

To succeed with this latter strategy, however, children needed (1

To succeed with this latter strategy, however, children needed (1) to understand that tracking branches would yield the same information as tracking puppets, and (2) to represent

transformation events in terms of their impact on the set of unpaired branches. For example, an addition of one puppet corresponded to one fewer unpaired branch, a subtraction of one puppet corresponded to one more unpaired branch, and so on. Perhaps, this mental operation was not available to children, and thus limited their use of strategies based on tracking branches. Although this difficulty may explain children’s failure with transformations involving puppets (addition/subtraction or substitution), it fails to account for children’s failure at the branch IWR-1 molecular weight addition/subtraction condition, where the impact of the events on the set of unpaired branches 3-Methyladenine was easily identifiable. This last finding thus leads us to favor the alternative explanation, i.e., that children failed to

realize that the task could be solved not only by tracking the puppets, but also by computing how many branches did not have a matching puppet – a limitation of their understanding of one-to-one correspondence relations. Children’s format of representation for one-to-one mappings may have been such that they could not easily track the set of unpaired branches through transformations. One-to-one correspondence relations may be represented either via individual pairings (as in “each branch has a puppet”) or at the level of the whole set. In the first case, to represent the puppets in relation to the branches, children could use their resources for parallel object tracking, with the branches serving as a support to expand the capacities of this system. A relation with one fewer puppets than branches

could be represented using two slots in memory, one Protein tyrosine phosphatase for the generic relation (“each branch has a puppet”) and one for the deviant branch. This format of representation, however, should be easy to update following the addition or subtraction of a branch, which leads us to favor an alternative hypothesis. Instead of representing the relation at the level of individuals, children may have encoded the mapping between branches and puppets as a visual configuration, which, sometimes (e.g., when the identity of the set was preserved), they tried to reproduce as they were taking the puppets out of the box. In line with our results, such an ensemble-based representation of the relation between puppets and branches would not easily enable children to compute the impact of one-item transformations, be they transformations of puppets or of branches. This second possibility thus appears more likely, but further research is needed to distinguish these alternatives.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were recorded with a Bru

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were recorded with a Bruker ARX-600 (Bruker Co., Karlsruhe, Germany) (1H, 600 MHz; 13C, 150 MHz) spectrometer in C5D5N with tetramethylsilane as internal standard. Infrared (IR) spectra on a Bruker Inter-Frame Space (IFS)-55 infrared spectrophotometer (Bruker Co., Karlsruhe, Germany) were recorded in Potassium bromide (KBr) disks. High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectra (HRESIMS) were recorded on an Agilent 1100 LC-MSD (Mass Spectrometer Detector) TOF (time-of-flight)

system (Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, USA) [ionization mode, positive; nebulizing gas (N2) pressure, 35 psi; drying gas (N2) flow, 12 L/min; temp, 325°C; IOX1 in vitro capillary voltage, 3,000 V; fragmentor voltage, 225 V]. Gas chromatography

(GC) was performed on the Agilent technologies 6890N apparatus (Agilent Technologies, Inc., Santa Clara, USA) with an OV-17 column (30 m × 0.32 mm). The column temperature was programmed from 80°C to 280°C at a rate of 10°C/min. Nitrogen was used as the carrier gas at 1.5 mL/min. The injector 5-FU solubility dmso and detector temperature was at 280°C and the injection volume was 1 μL with the split ratio being 10:1. All chemicals and solvents were analytical or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) grade and purchased from Lab Co. Ltd. (Lab Science and Trade Co., Ltd, Shenyang, China). Reversed-phase preparative HPLC was carried out on an octadecyl silica column [YMC-Pack Octadecylsilyl (ODS) A (YMC Co., Kyoto, Japan) (250 mm × 10 mm, 5 μm)] at 25°C at a flow rate of 3.0 mL/min with the eluent MeOH/H2O 66:34 (HPLC system I), 70:30 (HPLC system II), 75:25 (HPLC system III), 80:20 (HPLC system IV), 82:18 (HPLC system Parvulin V), or 9:1 (HPLC system VI). Ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometric detection was carried out at 203 nm. P. notoginseng leaves were from

the Yunnan province of the People’s Republic of China and identified by Professor Jincai Lu of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University. Air-dried P. notoginseng leaves (35 kg) were extracted with 70% ethanol (2 × 350 L) and then evaporated under vacuum at 30°C. Ethanol extracts (1.6 kg) were applied on a macroporous resin column (10.5 kg) preconditioned with distilled water. Elution began with water to remove impurities and then with 70% ethanol (100 L) to isolate the saponin fraction, which was dried with a spray dryer to yield the total saponins (1 kg). The total saponin (1 kg) was fractionated by silica gel column (300 mm × 1,600 mm, 30 kg) using a gradient of CH2Cl2/CH3OH (7:1 350 L−4:1 350 L−3:1 350 L) and CH3OH (300 L) to obtain 10 fractions, A−J. Fraction A (18 g) was subjected to chromatography on silica gel (70 mm × 800 mm, 400 g) and then eluted with ligarine and acetone in increasing polarity to yield 10 fractions, A1−A10, compounds 15 (20 mg), 16 (10 mg), and 17 (20 mg).

Irrigation was performed with disposable 5-mL syringes and 30-G N

Irrigation was performed with disposable 5-mL syringes and 30-G NaviTip needles taken up to 3 mm short of the WL. After preparation was complete, the canal was rinsed with 5 mL 17% EDTA followed by 5 mL 2.5% NaOCl. The total volume of NaOCl was 15 mL per canal (Fig. 1). After preparation in both groups, each root canal was washed with 1 mL 10% sodium thiosulfate to inactivate this website NaOCl, dried, and refilled with the same solution, which remained in

the canal for 5 minutes. Postpreparation (S2) samples were taken. Six teeth that showed no bacterial growth in S1 samples were excluded from the study. In group PUI/CHX (20 teeth), the root canal was irrigated with 2 mL 2.5% NaOCl, and then this solution was ultrasonically activated in the canal for 1 minute by using a stainless steel #15 K-type

file mounted in a piezoelectric ultrasonic device (Enac-Osada, Tokyo, Japan). The ultrasonic instrument ALK inhibitor was used at 1 mm short of the WL. The canal was again irrigated with 2 mL NaOCl. After washing the canal with 1 mL 10% sodium thiosulfate, this substance was left for 5 minutes filling the canal, and then S3 sample was taken. Eventually, sample S4 was taken from root canals of this group after rinsing the canal with 2 mL 0.2% CHX digluconate for 1 minute (Fig. 1). Irrigation was always performed with 30-G NaviTip needles taken up to 3 mm of the WL. After chemomechanical preparation in the Hedström group (24 teeth), the root canal was irrigated with 2 mL 2.5% NaOCl, and then Hedström files to size #40 were used in filing motion along the buccal and lingual recesses of the oval canal. Three short strokes were used per face, and the canal was again irrigated with 2 mL NaOCl. This substance was inactivated with 1 mL 10% sodium thiosulfate, which was left for 5 minutes in the canal, and then S3 sample was taken (Fig. 1). S1 sample was taken as follows. The root canal was gently rinsed with 1 mL sterile saline solution to remove unattached cells, and an initial sample was taken

by the sequential use of three to five paper points placed to the WL. GNE-0877 Each paper point remained in the canal for 1 minute. Paper points were transferred to tubes containing 1 mL sterile 0.85% saline solution and immediately processed. S2, S3, and S4 samples were taken using an approach to maximize recovery of bacteria from oval canals (14). Initially, the root canal flooded with 10% sodium thiosulfate was sampled by agitating the fluid in the canal with a sterile #35 or #40 gutta-percha point used in a pumping motion. Next, a sterile precurved stainless steel hand #20 K-file was inserted in the canal up to the WL. The curvature applied to the instrument was gentle and involved approximately the last 3 mm near the instrument’s tip. The precurved instrument was turned so that its tip faced the buccal recess and then moved three times with a pulling motion. This motion was repeated after turning the file so that its tip faced the lingual recess.