COLOR STABILITY of SEALED COMPOSITE RESIN RESTORATIVE MATERIALS AFTER ULTRAVIOLET ARTIFICIAL AGING and IMMERSION IN STAINING SOLUTIONS

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Enterococcus faecalis leakage of root canal sealers: an ex vivo study

The aim of this ex vivo study was to evaluate bacterial penetration after filling root canals using 3 different techniques. Three experimental groups of 25 teeth each, obturated with lateral-warm-vertical condensation of gutta-percha, Microseal technique and EndoREZ (R) system, respectively, were tested in a split chamber model system using Enterococcus faecalis and monitored for 180 days to determine bacterial penetration. A statistical analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Median survival time was 25 days for Microseal system, 41 for lateral-warm-vertical condensation and 81 for EndoREZ (R). Significant differences were demonstrated between Microseal and EndoREZ (R) (p<0.001) and between Microseal and lateral-warm-vertical condensation technique (p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between EndoREZ (R) and lateral-warm-vertical condensation. After 180 days of assessment, 20% of the EndoREZ (R) samples resisted bacterial penetration and furthermore, the EndoREZ (R) system has the potential to be a filler system compatible with other currently used systems.

Relationship between global structural parameters and Enzyme Commission hierarchy: Implications for function prediction

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estoques e frações de carbono orgânico em Latossolo Amarelo submetido a diferentes sistemas de manejo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desempenho produtivo da tilápia do nilo em tanques-rede numa represa pública: modelo empírico de classificação

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Synthesis of SnO2 by chemical routes and its use in varistors production

Tin oxide, SnO2. is a very used compound in industry and one of its uses is as varistor. For the current requirements of the technology is necessary a strict control of the chemical purity and the particle size of the raw material; for that reason the great interest that exists at the moment to develop synthesis methods that allow to get these requirements. In this work, ceramic powders of the Sn-Co-Nb-Ti-Al system using the controlled precipitation and polymeric precursor (Pechini) methods were synthesized. The raw material obtained was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis (DTA/FG) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sintering samples shown a good varistor behavior with non-linear coefficient (alpha) values similar to 22, and Er 2083 V/cm(2). (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structural studies of NaPO3-WO3 glasses by solid state NMR and Raman spectroscopy

Vitreous samples were prepared in the (100 2 x) NaPO3-x WO3 (0 <= x <= 70) glass forming system using conventional melting-quenching methods. The structural evolution of the vitreous network was monitored as a function of composition by thermal analysis, Raman spectroscopy and high resolution one- and two-dimensional P-31 solid state NMR. Addition of WO3 to the NaPO3 glass melt leads to a pronounced increase in the glass transition temperatures, suggesting a significant increase in network connectivity. At the same time Raman spectra indicate that up to about 30 mol% WO3 the tungsten atoms are linked to some non-bridging oxygen atoms (W-O- or W=O bonded species), suggesting that the network modifier sodium oxide is shared to some extent between both network formers. W-O- W bond formation occurs only at WO3 contents exceeding 30 mol%. P-31 magic angle spinning (MAS)-NMR spectra, supported by two-dimensional J-resolved spectroscopy, allow a clear distinction between species having two, one, and zero P-O-P linkages. The possible formation of some anionic tungsten sites suggested from the Raman data implies an average increase in the degree of polymerization for the phosphorus species, which would result in diminished P-31/Na-23 interactions. This prediction is indeed confirmed by P-31{Na-23} and Na-23{P-31} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) NMR results, which indicate that successive addition of WO3 to NaPO3 glass significantly diminishes the strength of phosphorus-sodium dipole-dipole couplings.

Preparation of zinc sodium polyphosphates glasses from coacervates precursors. Characterisation of the obtained glasses, and their applications

A soft chemistry route is described to obtain glasses in the P2O5-Na2O-ZnO-H2O. It is based on the addition of zinc salts to coacervates prepared from sodium polyphosphate. The processing of these coacervates leads to polyphosphate glasses with the same properties as those of glasses prepared in the classical way. So far, little work has been implemented in this system using 'coacervate route'. However, it makes an attractive method for coating and joining processes on the industrial scale. As the anion associated to zinc may take part in the adhesion mechanism, coacervate formation has been studied using zinc chloride, nitrate and sulphate as starting materials. The physical properties of the glasses obtained by this method are reported and potential applications of zinc and silver coacervate are described. (C) 2002 Academie des sciences / Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.

A disposaable electrochemical sensor for the rapid determination of levodopa

Levodopa (L-dopa), the biological precursor of catecholamines, is the most widely prescribed drug in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The present work presents a proposal for the application of a gold screen-printed electrode an electrochemical sensor for monitoring L-dopa in stationary solution and a flow system. Using the electrooxidation of L-dopa at +0.63 V in acetate buffer pH 3.0 on a gold screen-printed electrode it is possible to obtain a linear calibration curve from 9.9 x 10(-5) to 1.2 x 10(-3) mol L-1 and a detection limit of 6.8 x 10(-5) mol L-1. Under amperometric conditions (E-app = 0.8 V; flow rate = 14.1 ml, min(-1); pH 3.0), an analytical calibration graph for L-dopa was obtained from 1.0 x 10(-6) mol L-1 6.6 x 10(-4) mol L-1 with a detection limit of 9.9 x 10(-7) mol L-1. The method was successfully applied to the determination of L-dopa in commercial dosage forms without any pre-treatment. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reduction of mercury(II) by tropical river humic substances (Rio Negro) - A possible process of the mercury cycle in Brazil

The evolution of elemental Hg from its environmental compounds has already been supposed to be an important process within the global mercury cycle. The present study characterizes the abiotic reduction of Hg(II) ions by typical river humic substances (HS) conventionally pre-isolated by the adsorbent XAD 8 from the Rio Negro near Manaus, Brazil. For the investigation of this reduction process a special reaction and Hg(0) trapping unit combined with cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) was developed. Preconcentration of traces of mercury(II), if required, was obtained by a home-made FIA system using microcolumns filled with the Hg(II)-selective collector CheliteS(R) (Serva Company). The effect of environmentally relevant parameters such as the pH value, the Hg(II)/HS ratio and the HS concentration on the I-IE;(II) reduction process was studied as a function of the time. The Hg(0) production was highest at pH 8.0 and in the case of decreasing HS amounts (0.5 mg) when about 65% of initially 1.0 mug Hg(H) was reduced within 50 h. Moreover, the reduction efficiency of HS towards HE;(II) strongly depended on the HS concentration but hardly on the Hg(II)/HS ratio. The reduction kinetics followed a relatively slow two-step first-order mechanism with formal rate constants of about 0.1 and 0.02 h(-1), respectively. Based on these findings the possible relevance of the abiotic evolution of mercury in humic-rich aquatic environments is considered. (C) 2000 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Interfacial photoluminescence emission properties of core/shell Al2O3/ZrO2

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evaluation of Different Methods of Optical Impression Making on the Marginal Gap of Onlays Created with CEREC 3D

Objectives: This study evaluated the marginal gaps on several surfaces of onlays created with the Cerec 3D system using one intraoral and two extraoral optical impression methods. Methods: A human molar (#19) was mounted with its adjacent teeth on a typodont (Frasaco) and prepared for a MODL onlay. The typodont was assembled in the mannequin head in order to simulate clinical conditions. The same operator took 36 individual optical impressions using a CEREC 3D camera. For group 1 (IP), a thin layer of titanium dioxide powder (CEREC powder-VITA) was applied directly onto the surface of the preparation for imaging (n=12). For group 2 (EP), a sectional impression was taken with hydrocolloid Identic Syringable (Dux Dental), a die made with polyvinylsiloxane KwikkModel Scan (R-dental Dentalerzeugnisse GmbH) and powdered with titanium dioxide for imaging (n=12). For group 3 (ES), a sectional impression was taken with PVS and a sectional stock tray, a die fabricated in stone (Diamond die- HI-TEC Dental Products) and the die being imaged without powdering (n=12). One operator designed and machined the onlays in Vita Blocks Mark II for Cerec (VITA) using a CEREC 3D. The marginal gaps (pm) were measured with an optical microscope (50x) at 12 points, three on each surface of the MODL. The results were analyzed by two-way ANOVA/Tukey's (p=0.05). Results: The overall mean marginal gaps (mu m) for the three methods were: IP=111.6 (+/- 34.0); EP=161.4 (+/- 37.6) and ES=116.8 (+/- 42.3). IP and ES were equal, but both were significantly less than EP. The pooled mean marginal gaps (mu m) for the occlusal = 110.5 (+/- 39) and lingual = 111.5 (+/- 30.5) surfaces were equivalent and significantly less than the distal = 136.5 (+/- 42.5) and mesial = 161.1 (+/- 43.3). Conclusion: The marginal gap of CEREC 3D onlay restorations was not different when the optical impression was taken intraorally vs extraorally using a stone cast that does not require powdering. The lingual and occlusal surfaces showed the lowest gaps.

Control preventivo dinamico de sistemas de energia electrica usando redespacho de generacion y corte de carga

A model for preventive control in electrical systems is presented, taking into account the dynamic aspects of the network. Among these aspects, the effects provoked by perturbations which cause oscillations in synchronous machine angles (transient stability), such as electric equipment outages and short circuits, are presented. The energy function is used to measure the stability of the system using a procedure defined as the security margin. The control actions employed are load shedding and generation reallocation. An application of the methodology to a system located in southern Brazil, which is composed of 10 synchronous machines, 45 busses, and 72 transmission lines. The results confirm the theoretical studies.

S-, P-, and D-wave resonances in positronium-lithium-atom scattering

We investigate ortho-positronium-lithium-atom (Ps-Li) scattering using static-exchange and three-Ps-state coupled-channel calculations. The present three-PS-state scheme, while closely agreeing with the resonance and binding energies in the Ps-H system, predicts S-, P-, and D-wave resonances at 4.25 eV, 4.9 eV, and, 5.25 eV. respectively, in the electronic spin-singlet channel of Ps-Li scattering. The present calculation also yields a Ps-Li binding in this attractive singlet channel with an approximate binding energy of 0.218 eV, which is in adherence with the recent findings of a chemically stable PsLi system using stocastic variational and quantum Monte Carlo calculations. We further report elastic, Ps(2s)-, and Ps(2p)-excitation cross sections at low to medium energies (0.068-30 eV).

Avaliação de diferentes sistemas de cultivo in vitro para a micropropagação de Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) Stokes

This work was carried out with Psychotria ipecacuanha, a Brazilian medicinal plant the roots of which contain emetine. The main objective was to develop a protocol for the micro-propagation of these species, by testing different culture techniques, the temporary immersion system, and the semi-solid and liquid media systems. In the semi-solid system, experiments were developed in flasks of two different sizes containing MS, B5, and WP media to which were added different growth regulators. Innoculum density was also evaluated. The liquid medium system consisted of MS medium supplemented with different growth regulators. For the temporary immersion system, the MS medium received an addition of 1.5mg/L BAP and 0.5mg/L GA3, and a reverse digital apparatus and vacuum pump were used. The liquid medium system with MS medium supplemented with 1.5mg/L BAP and 0.5mg/L GA3 presented the best results for shoot proliferation in a period of 30 days in culture (2.37 ± 0.32 shoots/explant). Cultures carried out for 90 days in the semi-solid system, using 8.5 × 5.5cm flasks and 3 explants per flask, developed 1.80 ± 0.20 shoots/explant, achieving 3.06 ± 0.51 cm of height adn presented superior survival ratio (96%). Explants cultured in temporary immersion system for 90 days showed 2.30 ± 1.10 shoots/explant achieving a growth of 2.08 ± 0.12 cm and 52% survival.