Nanometer Scale Titanium Surface Texturing Are Detected by Signaling Pathways Involving Transient FAK and Src Activations

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

Comparison of Physicochemical Surface Conditioning Methods for Adhesion of bis-GMA Resin Cement to Particulate Filler Composite and Surface Characterization

This study compared the effect of physicochemical surface conditioning methods on the adhesion of bis-GMA-based resin cement to particulate filler composite (PFC) used for indirect dental restorations. PFC blocks (N (block)=54, n (block)=9 per group) were polymerized and randomly subjected to one of the following surface conditioning methods: a) No conditioning (Control-C), b) Hydrofluoric acid (HF)etching for 60s (AE60), c) HF for 90s (AE90), d) HF for 120s (AE120), e) HF for 180s (AE180), and f) air-abrasion with 30 mu m silica-coated alumina particles (AB). The conditioned surfaces were silanized with an MPS silane, and an adhesive resin was applied. Resin composite blocks were bonded to PFC using resin cement and photo-polymerized. PFC-cement-resin composite blocks were cut under coolant water to obtain bar specimens (1mmx0.8mm). Microtensile bond strength test (mu TBS)was performed in a universal testing machine (1mm/min). After debonding, failure modes were classified using stereomicroscopy. Surface characterization was performed on a set of separate specimen surfaces using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Dispersive Spectroscopy (XDS), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier Transform-Raman Spectroscopy (FT-RS). Mean mu TBS (MPa) of C (35.6 +/- 4.9) was significantly lower than those of other groups (40.2 +/- 5.6-47.4 +/- 6.1) (p<0.05). The highest mu TBS was obtained in Group AB (47.4 +/- 6.1). Prolonged duration of HF etching increased the results (AE180: 41.9 +/- 7), but was not significantly different than that of AB (p>0.05). Failure types were predominantly cohesive in PFC (34 out of 54) followed by cohesive failure in the cement (16 out of 54). Degree of conversion (DC) of the PFC was 63 +/- 10%. SEM analysis showed increased irregularities on PFC surfaces with the increased etching time. Chemical surface analyses with XPS and FT-RS indicated 11-70% silane on the PFC surfaces that contributed to improved bond strength compared to Group C that presented 5% silane, which seemed to be a threshold. Group AB displayed 83% SiO2 and 17% silane on the surfaces.

Osteoblast Adhesion Dynamics: A Possible Role for ROS and LMW-PTP

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Adhesion of Candida biofilm cells to human epithelial cells and polystyrene after treatment with silver nanoparticles

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Adhesion of substrate-adherent combinations for early composite repairs: Effect of intermediate adhesive resin application

This study evaluated the effect of intermediate adhesive resin application (IAR) on tensile bond strength (TBS) for early composite repairs in situations where substrate and repair composite bonded together were once of the same kind with the substrate (similar) and once other than the substrate material (dissimilar). Specimens from three types of composites (TPH Spectrum (TPH), Charisma (CHA) and Filtek Z250 (Z250)) were fabricated. The specimens in each composite group (n=72) were randomly divided into six subgroups (n=12). In each composite group, the similar and two dissimilar composites were bonded onto the substrates once using an IAR (Adper Single Bond Plus) and once without. After water storage for I week at 37 degrees C, substrate-adherent combinations were submitted to tensile test. Data were analyzed with three-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (alpha=0.05). The substrate-adherent combination (p=0.0001), adherent (repair) composite (p=0.0001), and application of IAR (p=0.0001) significantly affected the results. Utilization of IAR improved the repair bond strength for all composite combinations. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Can Heat Treatment Procedures of Pre-hydrolyzed Silane Replace Hydrofluoric Acid in the Adhesion of Resin Cement to Feldspathic Ceramic?

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of heat treatment (HT) procedures of a pre-hydrolyzed silane on bond strength of resin cement to a feldspathic ceramic.Materials and Methods: Ceramic and composite blocks (N = 30) were divided into six groups (n = 5) and subjected to the following conditioning procedures: G1: 9.6% hydrofluoric acid (HF) for 20 s + silane (RelyX Ceramic Primer, 3M ESPE) + resin cement (Panavia F2.0, Kuraray) (control); G2: HF (20 s) + silane + heat treatment in furnace (HTF) (100 degrees C, 2 min) + resin cement; G3: silane + HTF + resin cement; G4-HF (20 s) + silane + heat treatment with hot air (HTA) (50 +/- 5 degrees C for 1 min) + resin cement; G5: silane + HTA + resin cement; G6: silane + resin cement. The microtensile bond strength (MTBS) test was performed using a universal testing machine (1 mm/min). After debonding, the substrate and adherent surfaces were analyzed using a stereomicroscope and SEM to categorize the failure types. The data were statistically evaluated using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (5%).Results: The control group (G1) showed no pre-test failures and presented significantly higher mean MTBS (16.01 +/- 1.12 MPa) than did other groups (2.63 +/- 1.05 to 12.55 +/- 1.52 MPa) (p = 0.0001). In the groups where HF was not used, HTF (G3: 12.55 +/- 1.52 MPa) showed significantly higher MTBS than did HTA (G5: 2.63 +/- 1.05 MPa) (p < 0.05). All failure types were mixed, ie, adhesive between the resin cement and ceramic accompanied by cohesive failure in the cement.Conclusion: Heat treatment procedures for the pre-hydrolyzed silane either in a furnace or with the application of hot air cannot replace the use of HF gel for the adhesion of resin cement to feldspathic ceramic. Yet when mean bond strengths and incidence of pre-test failures are considered, furnace heat treatment delivered the second best results after the control group, being considerably better than hot air application.

Effect of Post-silanization Heat Treatments of Silanized Feldspathic Ceramic on Adhesion to Resin Cement

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of post-silanization heat treatment of a silane agent and rinsing with hot water of silanized CAD/CAM feldspathic ceramic surfaces on the microtensile bond strength between resin cement and the ceramic, before and after mechanical cycling.Materials and Methods: Blocks measuring 10 x 5.7 x 3.25 mm(3) were produced from feldspathic ceramic cubes (VITA Mark II, VITA Zanhfabrik). Each ceramic block was duplicated in composite resin using a template made of polyvinylsiloxane impression material. Afterwards, ceramic and corresponding resin composite blocks were ultrasonically cleaned and randomly divided according to the 5 strategies used for conditioning the ceramic surface (n = 10): GHF: etching with hydrofluoric acid 10% + rinsing with water at room temperature + silanization at 20 degrees C; G20: silanization; G77: silanization + oven drying at 77 degrees C; G20r: silanization + hot water rinsing; G77r: silanization + oven drying at 77 C + hot water rinsing. The resin and ceramic blocks were cemented using a dual-curing resin cement. Every group was divided in two subgroups: aging condition (mechanical cycling, designated as a) or non-aging (designated as n). All the bonded assemblies were sectioned into microsticks for microtensile bond strength (mu TBS) testing. The failure mode of the tested specimens was assessed and mu TBS data were statistically analyzed in two ways: first 2-way ANOVA (GHF, G20 and G77 in non-aging/aging conditions) and 3-way ANOVA (temperature x rinsing x aging factors, excluding GHF), followed by Tukey's test (p = 0.05).Results: The 2-way ANOVA revealed that the mu TBS was significantly affected by the surface treatment (p < 0.001) but not by aging (p = 0.68), and Tukey's test showed that G77-n/G77-a (18.0 MPa) > GHF-n/GHF-a (12.2 MPa) > G20-n/G20-a (9.1 MPa). The 3-way ANOVA revealed that the mu TBS was significantly affected by the heat treatment and rinsing factors (p < 0.001), but not affected by aging (p = 0.36). The rinsing procedure decreased, while oven drying increased the bond strengths. Group G77, in both non-aging and aging conditions (18.6-17.4 MPa), had the highest bond values. Failure modes were mainly mixed for all groups.Conclusion: Oven drying at 77 degrees C improved the bond strength between the resin cement and feldspathic ceramic, but hot water rinsing reduced the bond strength and should not be recommended.

Influence of air-particle deposition protocols on the surface topography and adhesion of resin cement to zirconia

Objectives: This study evaluated the influence of air-particle abrasion protocols on the surface roughness (SR) of zirconia and the shear bond strength (SBS) of dual-polymerized resin cement to this ceramic. Materials and methods. Sintered zirconia blocks (n = 115) (Lava, 3M ESPE) were embedded in acrylic resin and polished. The specimens were divided according to the 'particle type' (Al: 110 mu m Al2O3; Si: 110 mu m SiO2) and 'pressure' factors (2.5 or 3.5 bar) (n = 3 per group): (a) Control (no air-abrasion); (b) Al2.5; (c) Si2.5; (d) Al3.5; (e) Si3.5. SR (Ra) was measured 3-times from each specimen after 20 s of air-abrasion (distance: 10 mm) using a digital optical profilometer. Surface topography was evaluated under SEM analyses. For the SBS test, 'particle type', 'pressure' and 'thermocycling' (TC) factors were considered (n = 10; n = 10 per group): Control (no air-abrasion); Al2.5; Si2.5; Al3.5; Si3.5; Control(TC); Al2.5(TC); Si2.5(TC); Al3.5(TC); Si3.5(TC). After silane application, resin cement (Panavia F2.0) was bonded and polymerized. Specimens were thermocycled (6.000 cycles, 5-55 degrees C) and subjected to SBS (1 mm/min). Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Tukey's and Dunnett tests (5%). Results. 'Particle' (p = 0.0001) and 'pressure' (p = 0.0001) factors significantly affected the SR. All protocols significantly increased the SR (Al2.5: 0.45 +/- 0.02; Si2.5: 0.39 +/- 0.01; Al3.5: 0.80 +/- 0.01; Si3.5: 0.64 +/- 0.01 mu m) compared to the control group (0.16 +/- 0.01 mu m). For SBS, only 'particle' factor significantly affected the results (p = 0.015). The SiO2 groups presented significantly higher SBS results than Al2O3 (Al2.5: 4.78 +/- 1.86; Si2.5: 7.17 +/- 2.62; Al3.5: 4.97 +/- 3.74; Si3.5: 9.14 +/- 4.09 MPa) and the control group (3.67 +/- 3.0 MPa). All TC specimens presented spontaneous debondings. SEM analysis showed that Al2O3 created damage in zirconia in the form of grooves, different from those observed with SiO2 groups. Conclusions. Air-abrasion with 110 mu m Al2O3 resulted in higher roughness, but air-abrasion protocols with SiO2 promoted better adhesion.

Silica-based Nano-coating on Zirconia Surfaces Using Reactive Magnetron Sputtering: Effect on Chemical Adhesion of Resin Cements

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

Identification and adhesion profile of Lactobacillus spp. strains isolated from poultry

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

Sn(1-x)LaxO2 thin films deposited on AISI 304 stainless steel substrates

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Visuomotor processing and hand force coordination in dyslexic children during a visually guided manipulation task

Developmental Dyslexia negatively affects children's reading and writing ability and, in most cases, performance in sensorimotor tasks. These deficits have been associated with structural and functional alterations in the cerebellum and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC). Both neural structures are active during visually guided force control and in the coordination of load force (LF) and grip force (GF) during manipulation tasks. Surprisingly, both phenomena have not been investigated in dyslexic children. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare dyslexic and non-dyslexic children regarding their visuomotor processing ability and GF-LF coordination during a static manipulation task. Thirteen dyslexic (8-14YO) and 13 age- and sex-matched non-dyslexic (control) children participated in the study. They were asked to grasp a fixed instrumented handle using the tip of all digits and pull the handle upward exerting isometric force to match a ramp-and-hold force profile displayed in a computer monitor. Task performance (i.e., visuomotor coordination) was assessed by RMSE calculated in both ramp and hold phases. GF-LF coordination was assessed by the ratio between GF and LF (GF/LF) calculated at both phases and the maximum value of a cross-correlation function (r(max)) and its respective time lag calculated at ramp phase. The results revealed that the RMSE at both phases was larger in dyslexic than in control children. However, we found that GF/LF, rmax, and time lags were similar between groups. Those findings indicate that dyslexic children have a mild deficit in visuomotor processing but preserved GF-LF coordination. Altogether, these findings suggested that dyslexic children could present mild structural and functional alterations in specific PPC or cerebellum areas that are directly related to visuomotor processing. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acetylene plasma polymer treated by atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge

Plasma polymer films are very attractive for industrial applications in several sectors such as in the electronic, mechanic, biomedic, coating and others, due to its good adhesion, being insoluble in mild acids and bases and having a high crosslinking structure. This work reports the physical, structural, and surface properties of the polymer obtained from an acetylene plasma polymerization technique and treated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The film was deposited in a reactor supplied by a radio-frequency power source at low pressure. After deposition, the nanofilms were treated in a DBD plasma reactor operating in air. The treatment times varied from 1 to 5 min. The analysis of molecular structure of the samples was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy, showing absorption bands in 3480, 2930, 1720, 1450 and 1380 cm(-1). The water contact-angle was investigated by goniometric technique and presented values from 5 to 65 degrees. The aging effect of these films was also studied. The alteration in the films surface morphology was assessed by an atomic force microscopy (AFM) which indicated that the roughness increased from 60 nm to 160 nm as a result of the DBD treatment. The refractive index of the samples presented values near 1.7, measured by UV-Visible spectroscopy. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cell Adhesion to Plasma-Coated PVC

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

Greening the work force in Brazilian hotels: The role of environmental training

BACKGROUND: Organizations are increasingly required to reduce their environmental impact through the adoption of environmental management, which requires the support of human resource practices.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine whether human resource management practices, especially training, are supporting environmental management practices at four hotels located in Brazil.METHODS: This research is qualitative, based on the analysis of four hotels in Brazil.RESULTS: Based on the systematized empirical evidence collected from four hotels (Hotels A, B, C, and D), it can be concluded that: (1) human resource management is still not fully aligned with environmental objectives at the hotels studied; (2) only Hotel B has implemented environmental management practices and aligned with human resource management in a more developed manner, which may indicate that these two variables of analysis could have interrelations; (3) environmental training as a human resource management practice was verified in all hotels analyzed.CONCLUSIONS: The greening of human resources practices is not fully aligned with environmental objectives in the hotels studied. If these hotels really wish to "go green," environmental training will be necessary. Hotel stakeholders play a major role in implementing the greening of the hotel industry.