2005 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a non-funded cooperative agreement 58-5450-4-0038F between ARS and the National University of Salta, Argentina. Additional details of the research can be found in the reports for the parent CRIS project 5450-51000-034-00D, Mineral Intakes for Optimal Bone and Joint Development and Health. The purpose of this research is to determine whether boron is bioactive in bone formation and thus promotes bone growth and remodeling. Findings from this research should be useful in providing dietary guidance for bone repair and health. The animal portion of the experiment to determine the effect of boron deprivation on peri-implant bone healing of the tibia, and mandibular bone remodeling upon tooth extraction in mice has been completed. The histological sections of the mandibles of the mice have been completed. The sections are currently undergoing histomorphometric evaluation.