Morphological investigation of various orthodontic lingual bracket slots using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

Various labial and lingual orthodontic appliances with aesthetic materials have been developed due to an increased demand in aesthetic orthodontic treatment. However, there are few reports regarding the morphology of lingual orthodontic appliances. Therefore, this study evaluates the roughness of slot surfaces of various orthodontic lingual brackets using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Ultrasensitive Detection of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Using Surface Plasmon Resonance.

Because single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are known to be a potentially dangerous material, inducing cancers and other diseases, any possible leakage of SWNTs through an aquatic medium such as drinking water will result in a major public threat. To solve this problem, for the present study, a highly sensitive, quantitative detection method of SWNTs in an aqueous solution was developed using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. For a highly sensitive and specific detection, a strong affinity conjugation with biotin-streptavidin was adopted on an SPR sensing mechanism.

Electrocardiographic predictors of bradycardia-induced torsades de pointes in patients with acquired atrioventricular block.

Background: Predictors of torsades de pointes (TdP) in bradyarrhythmia-induced acquired long QT syndrome are not well defined.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to search for electrocardiographic (ECG) TdP predictors in patients with acquired atrioventricular block (AVB) and QT prolongation.

Methods: We analyzed 12-lead ECGs from 20 patients (15 females, age 65.

Mammalian complex I pumps 4 protons per 2 electrons at high and physiological proton motive force in living cells.

Mitochondrial complex I couples electron transfer between matrix NADH and inner-membrane ubiquinone to the pumping of protons against a proton motive force. The accepted proton pumping stoichiometry was 4 protons per 2 electrons transferred (4H(+)/2e(-)) but it has been suggested that stoichiometry may be 3H(+)/2e(-) based on the identification of only 3 proton pumping units in the crystal structure and a revision of the previous experimental data. Measurement of proton pumping stoichiometry is challenging because, even in isolated mitochondria, it is difficult to measure the proton motive force while simultaneously measuring the redox potentials of the NADH/NAD(+) and ubiquinol/ubiquinone pools.

Acute mitochondrial inhibition by mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) 1/2 inhibitors regulates proliferation.

The Ras-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 kinase signaling pathway regulates proliferation, survival, and differentiation and, because it is often aberrant in tumors, is a popular target for small molecule inhibition. A novel metabolic analysis that measures the real-time oxidation state of NAD(H) and the hemes of the electron transport chain and oxygen consumption within intact, living cells found that structurally distinct MEK1/2 inhibitors had an immediate, dose-dependent effect on mitochondrial metabolism. The inhibitors U0126, MIIC and PD98059 caused NAD(H) reduction, heme oxidation, and decreased oxygen consumption, characteristic of complex I inhibition.