OBJECTIVES To investigate the stain removal ability of melamine sponge before aesthetic tooth whitening in extracted teeth. METHODS Melamine sponge of thickness 40 mm was compressed and the destruction of the partition wall structure during the compression process was examined under a stereoscopic microscope. An extracted human tooth was cleaned by normal polishing or with melamine sponge for...

The low affinity of neutral and hydrophobic molecules towards noble metal surfaces hinders their detection by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Herein, we present a method to enhance gold nanoparticle (AuNP) surface affinity by lowering the suspension pH below the analyte pKa. We developed an AuNP/bacterial cellulose (BC) nanocomposite platform and applied it to two common pollutants,...

The protective effect of natural bees' honey to the liver of male albino rats against melamine toxicity was studied. Melamine supplementation at a dose of 20000 ppm in the diet for 28 days induced adverse effects on the liver, decreased serum total protein and increased liver enzyme: alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase. Histological changes of the mela...

A quantitative colorimetric sensing strategy utilizing cysteamine modified gold nanoparticles (CA-AuNPs) as reporters for Hg(2+) and melamine was demonstrated. Cysteamine is a cheap and commercially available aminothiol and is also the most important chelating ligand in coordination chemistry possessing the ability to coordinate to Hg(2+) and melamine. The terminal thiol group in cysteamine is ...

A fast and cost-effective melamine detection approach has been developed based on surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) using a novel hydrogen bonding-assisted supramolecular matrix. The detection utilizes Fe3O4/Au magnetic nanoparticles coated with 5-aminoorotic acid (AOA) as a SERS active substrate (Fe3O4/Au–AOA), and Rhodamine B (RhB) conjugated AOA as a Raman reporter (AOA–RhB). Upon m...

Shrimp (Penaeus monodon and P. vannamei) specimens were submitted to the University of Arizona's Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory (UAZAPL) and to the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) in 2007 and 2008 from shrimp-rearing facilities in India and Indonesia for histological testing. These were found to present prominent golden to greenish-brown needle- and plate-like birefring...

Two young dogs belonging to the same kennel placed nearby Treviso (north-eastern Italy) died at the end of 2008 with clinical signs of renal failure. They were subjected to necropsy and were evaluated for histopathological and toxicological changes. Both the animals had same clinical signs and laboratory evidence of uremia. Post mortem investigations revealed severe nephrotoxicosis, associated ...

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This study was conducted to evaluate the potential benefit of particle reduction down to nanoscale on curcumin, a unique natural active compound facing therapeutic problems due to low solubility and permeability. In addition, the presence of TPGS as a surfactant for multiple functions on curcumin nanoparticle was addressed. Observation was focused on bioavailability enhancement after oral admin...

The contamination of melamine was evaluated in 69 infants along with follow up formula samples collected from the market for the first time in Iran using HPLC method. Since there are no previous data concerning the contamination level of melamine in all brands of infant formula samples consumed using the HPLC method in Iran, this study is the first investigation in this regard. Our results show...