Maxillary Fungal Osteomyelitis Mimicking and Treated as Endodontic Pathosis.

Fungal osteomyelitis is a lethal opportunistic infection that affects only a small percentage of patients present to endodontists. It is a highly contagious infection that requires urgent treatment. We discuss three cases in which endodontic pathology was initially recognized but subsequent follow-up revealed severe osteolytic fungal infection of the maxilla manifesting as acute apical abscesses in the maxillary canine region.

Inhibition of the water oxidizing complex of photosystem II and the reoxidation of the quinone acceptor QA- by Pb2+.

The action of the environmental toxic Pb(2+) on photosynthetic electron transport was studied in thylakoid membranes isolated from spinach leaves. Fluorescence and thermoluminescence techniques were performed in order to determine the mode of Pb(2+) action in photosystem II (PSII). The invariance of fluorescence characteristics of chlorophyll a (Chl a) and magnesium tetraphenylporphyrin (MgTPP), a molecule structurally analogous to Chl a, in the presence of Pb(2+) confirms that Pb cation does not interact directly with chlorophyll molecules in PSII.

Alteration of the structure and function of photosystem I by Pb2+.

The toxic effects of Pb(2+) on photosynthetic electron transport were studied in photosystem I (PSI) submembrane fractions isolated from spinach. Structural and spectroscopic analysis using FTIR, fluorescence and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that Pb(2+) binds with proteins via oxygen and nitrogen atoms with an overall binding constant of KPb-PSI=4.9×10(3) (±0.

Re-evaluation of the side effects of cytochrome b6f inhibitor dibromothymoquinone on photosystem II excitation and electron transfer.

Dibromothymoquinone (DBMIB) has been used as a specific inhibitor of plastoquinol oxidation at the Q0 binding site of the cytochrome b6f complex for 40 years. It is thought to suppress electron transfer between photosystem (PS) II and I, as well as cyclic electron transfer around PSI. However, DBMIB has also been reported to act as a quencher of chlorophyll excited states.

Locating the binding sites of retinol and retinoic acid with milk β-lactoglobulin.

β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) is a member of lipocalin superfamily of transporters for small hydrophobic molecules such as retinoids. We located the binding sites of retinol and retinoic acid on β-LG in aqueous solution at physiological conditions, using FTIR, CD, fluorescence spectroscopic methods, and molecular modeling. The retinoid-binding sites and the binding constants as well as the effect of retinol and retinoic acid complexation on protein stability and secondary structure were determined.

Locating the binding sites of Pb(II) ion with human and bovine serum albumins.

Lead is a potent environmental toxin that has accumulated above its natural level as a result of human activity. Pb cation shows major affinity towards protein complexation and it has been used as modulator of protein-membrane interactions. We located the binding sites of Pb(II) with human serum (HSA) and bovine serum albumins (BSA) at physiological conditions, using constant protein concentration and various Pb contents.

Binding sites of retinol and retinoic acid with serum albumins.

Retinoids are effectively transported in the bloodstream via serum albumins. We report the complexation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with retinol and retinoic acid at physiological conditions, using constant protein concentration and various retinoid contents. FTIR, CD and fluorescence spectroscopic methods and molecular modeling were used to analyze retinoid binding site, the binding constant and the effects of complexation on BSA stability and secondary structure.

Afterglow thermoluminescence measured in isolated chloroplasts.

The thermoluminescence afterglow (AG) measured in plant leaves originates from the S(2)/S(3)Q(B)(-) charge pair recombination in photosystem II (PSII) initiated by reverse electron flow from stromal reductants to PQ and then to the Q(B) site in PSII centers that are in the S(2)/S(3)Q(B) state. In this study, we show that this luminescence, absent in isolated thylakoid membranes, can be measured in intact chloroplasts that retain their stromal content including the electron acceptor pool (oxidized ferredoxin/NADP(+)) of photosystem I. The properties of the chloroplasts AG emission is similar to the AG in leaves in terms of temperature maximum, period-four modulation, far-red light stimulation, and antimycin A inhibition.

Retinol and retinoic acid bind human serum albumin: stability and structural features.

Vitamin A components, retinol and retinoic acid, are fat-soluble micronutrients and critical for many biological processes, including vision, reproduction, growth, and regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. The cellular uptake of Vitamin A is through specific interaction of a plasma membrane receptor with serum retinol-binding protein. Human serum albumin (HSA), as a transport protein, is the major target of several micronutrients in vivo.

Resveratrol binding to human serum albumin.

Resveratrol (Res), a polyphenolic compound found largely in the skin of red grape and wine, exhibits a wide range of pharmaceutical properties and plays a role in prevention of human cardiovascular diseases [Pendurthi et al., Arterioscler. Thromb.

Photoinduced electron transfer between chlorophyll a and gold nanoparticles.

Excited-state interactions between chlorophyll a (Chla) and gold nanoparticles have been studied. The emission intensity of Chla is quenched by gold nanoparticles. The dominant process for this quenching has been attributed to the process of photoinduced electron transfer from excited Chla to gold nanoparticles, although because of a small overlap between fluorescence of Chla and absorption of gold nanoparticles, the energy-transfer process cannot be ruled out.

Redox characteristics of manganese and cobalt complexes obtained from pyridine N-oxide.

Manganese and cobalt complexes, using pyridine N-oxide as ligand, have been synthesized, and their cyclic and square-wave voltammetric measurements have been carried out. The results reveal that the complexes exhibit different voltammetric pattern, which suggests that the redox processes are most probably metal-centered. In both complexes, extra redox activity is observed once the potential exceeds certain value of the voltage.

Nanostructured thin films of C60-aniline dyad clusters: electrodeposition, charge separation, and photoelectrochemistry.

Clusters of C60-aniline dyads are deposited as thin films on nanostructured SnO2 electrodes under the influence of an electric field. At low applied DC voltage (<5 V) the clusters in toluene/acetonitrile (1:3) mixed solvent grow in size (from 160 nm to approximately 200 nm in diameter) while at higher voltages (>50 V) they are deposited on the electrode surface as thin films. The C60- aniline dyad cluster films when cast on nanostructured SnO2 films are photoelectrochemically active and generate photocurrent under visible light excitation.

Redox characteristics of Schiff base manganese and cobalt complexes related to water-oxidizing complex of photosynthesis.

In an effort to obtain synthetic analogues of water-oxidizing complex (WOC) of photosystem II (PS II) of plant photosynthesis, a Schiff base manganese and a cobalt complex, employing Niten, a SALEN type ligand, have been prepared. Cyclic and square wave voltammetric measurements have been performed to assess their redox characteristics. Both complexes undergo several reduction processes in cathodic negative potential region at more or less similar potentials.