Variations in the configuration of pulp chambers subjacent to protostylids.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to clarify the positional relationship between the crown contour and pulp chamber of protostylids using three-dimensional reconstructed images. METHODS: Fourteen molars with protostylids from Japanese subjects were subjected to micro-computed tomography. The external surface configurations of the teeth and pulp chambers were reconstructed. Hard tissue thicknesses in appointed buccal areas were measured on the reconstructed images. RESULTS: Well-developed protostylids exhibited pulp-prominences above or at the cervical line level. Those that were moderately developed exhibited bulges of the pulp chamber subjacent to the protostylids. Ten of the 14 teeth had prominences in the crown pulp above or at the cervical line level. In addition, 13 teeth exhibited pulp chamber bulges surrounding the lower tooth trunk. No significant differences were apparent in the buccal horizontal thickness of the hard tissue between the protostylids with pulp chamber prominences and the protostylids without pulp chamber prominences at the cervical line level. CONCLUSION: Pulp chamber configurations subjacent to protostylids vary based on the development of the traits of the protostylids. Minimum possible taper should be applied during standard vital tooth preparations, as reduced residual dentin thickness is predicted in well- and moderately developed protostylids.

Structure dependence of intramolecular electron transfer reactions of simple dyads of a zinc(ii) porphyrin complex bearing a peripheral bipyridine moiety.

New dyad systems based on a zinc(ii) porphyrin complex and a 2,2'-bipyridine moiety linked by amide bridges having various bridging groups were synthesized. The photochemical behavior was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy and a time-resolved absorption technique. The singlet excited state of the porphyrin complex was found to be partially quenched by Cu2+ in methanol, and a photoinduced electron transfer from the excited state of the porphyrin moiety to the Cu(ii)-bipyridine moiety was observed using a transient absorption technique. The relatively long lifetime of the charge-separated state was ascribed to the slow electron-transfer reaction of the Cu(ii)/Cu(i) couple bound to the bipyridine moiety. The lifetime of the charge-separated state of dyads becomes longer with the increase of the distance between the porphyrin and bipyridine moieties, and these findings are discussed using an empirical formula for the relationship between the reactivity and molecular structure of dyads.

Bioengineering a 3D integumentary organ system from iPS cells using an in vivo transplantation model.

The integumentary organ system is a complex system that plays important roles in waterproofing, cushioning, protecting deeper tissues, excreting waste, and thermoregulation. We developed a novel in vivo transplantation model designated as a clustering-dependent embryoid body transplantation method and generated a bioengineered three-dimensional (3D) integumentary organ system, including appendage organs such as hair follicles and sebaceous glands, from induced pluripotent stem cells. This bioengineered 3D integumentary organ system was fully functional following transplantation into nude mice and could be properly connected to surrounding host tissues, such as the epidermis, arrector pili muscles, and nerve fibers, without tumorigenesis. The bioengineered hair follicles in the 3D integumentary organ system also showed proper hair eruption and hair cycles, including the rearrangement of follicular stem cells and their niches. Potential applications of the 3D integumentary organ system include an in vitro assay system, an animal model alternative, and a bioengineered organ replacement therapy.