Effects of curing protocol and storage time on the micro-hardness of resin cements used to lute fiber-reinforced resin posts

Objectives: To determine the micro-hardness profile of two dual cure resin cements (RelyX - U100 (R), 3M-ESPE and Panavia F 2.0 (R), Kuraray) used for cementing fiber-reinforced resin posts (Fibrekor (R) - Jeneric Pentron) under three different curing protocols and two water storage times. Material and methods: Sixty 16mm long bovine incisor roots were endodontically treated and prepared for cementation of the Fibrekor posts. The cements were mixed as instructed, dispensed in the canal, the posts were seated and the curing performed as follows: a) no light activation; b) light-activation immediately after seating the post, and; c) light-activation delayed 5 minutes after seating the post. The teeth were stored in water and retrieved for analysis after 7 days and 3 months. The roots were longitudinally sectioned and the microhardness was determined at the cervical, middle and apical regions along the cement line. The data was analyzed by the three-way ANOVA test (curing mode, storage time and thirds) for each cement. The Tukey test was used for the post-hoc analysis. Results: Light-activation resulted in a significant increase in the microhardness. This was more evident for the cervical region and for the Panavia cement. Storage in water for 3 months caused a reduction of the micro-hardness for both cements. The U100 cement showed less variation in the micro-hardness regardless of the curing protocol and storage time. Conclusions: The micro-hardness of the cements was affected by the curing and storage variables and were material-dependent.

Methods of body-mass reduction by combat sport athletes

The aim of this study was to investigate the methods adopted to reduce body mass (BM) in competitive athletes from the grappling (judo, jujitsu) and striking (karate and tae kwon do) combat sports in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. An exploratory methodology was employed through descriptive research, using a standardized questionnaire with objective questions self-administered to 580 athletes (25.0 +/- 3.7 yr, 74.5 +/- 9.7 kg, and 16.4% +/- 5.1% body fat). Regardless of the sport, 60% of the athletes reported using a method of rapid weight loss (RWL) through increased energy expenditure. Strikers tend to begin reducing BM during adolescence. Furthermore, 50% of the sample used saunas and plastic clothing, and only 26.1% received advice from a nutritionist. The authors conclude that a high percentage of athletes uses RWL methods. In addition, a high percentage of athletes uses unapproved or prohibited methods such as diuretics, saunas, and plastic clothing. The age at which combat sport athletes reduce BM for the first time is also worrying, especially among strikers.

Influence of technique and manipulation on self-adhesive resin cements used to cement intraradicular posts

Statement of problem: Resin cements are widely used to cement intraradicular posts, but bond strength is significantly influenced by the technique and material used for cementation. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bond strength of 3 self-adhesive cements used to cement intraradicular glass fiber posts. The cements all required different application and handling techniques. Material and Methods: Forty-five human maxillary canines were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups n= 15 by drawing lots: Group BIS – Biscem, Group BRE – Breeze, and Group MAX – Maxcem. Each group was divided into 3 subgroups according to application and handling techniques: Sub-group A – Automix/Point tip applicator, Sub-group L – Handmix/Lentulo, and Sub-group C – Handmix/Centrix. Cementation of the posts was performed according to the manufacturers’ instructions. The push-out test was performed with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min, and bond strength was expressed in megapascals. The results were evaluated by 2-way ANOVA and the all pairwise multiple comparison procedures (Tukey test) (?=.05). Results: Breeze cement showed the highest average for the subgroups A, L, and C when compared to the Biscem cement and Maxcem Elite (P<.05). Statistically significant differences among the subgroups were only observed for Biscem. Conclusions: This study shows that application and handling techniques may influence the bond strength of different self-adhesive cements when used for intraradicular post cementation.

Lola tinha uma coisa: construção de um livro educativo para crianças com fibrose cística

Este trabalho descreve a experiência da construção de um livro de história com o objetivo de auxiliar profissionais de saúde e familiares a contarem para crianças menores de 5 anos sobre seu diagnóstico de Fibrose Cística. O livro traz a história de Lola, uma criança que descobre que tem Fibrose Cística e cria um monstro imaginário como representação da doença. A experiência emergida da prática profissional em um ambulatório multiprofissional de atendimento a esses pacientes, traduz a importância de conciliar teoria e prática, além da interdisciplinaridade para a construção de estratégias inovadoras e criativas no desenvolvimento do cuidado integral.

Integração de condicionantes de morfologia urbana no desenvolvimento de metodologia para planejamento energético urbano

O objetivo desse artigo é apresentar as características gerais de uma nova metodologia para planejamento energético urbano, detalhando os procedimentos para integração de condicionantes de morfologia urbana, que constitui a primeira etapa de aplicação metodológica. Esta abordagem é inovadora e focada na integração de estratégias e soluções em morfologia e mobilidade urbanas, edifícios, energia e meio ambiente para planejamento de áreas em desenvolvimento urbano, novas ou a serem requalificadas, na escala de distritos, bairros e unidades de vizinhança. A análise dos resultados da aplicação metodológica no caso da operação urbana Água Branca indicou que a ocupação urbana por edificações e as densidades construída e populacional necessitavam ser compatibilizadas com a área livre requerida ao adequado dimensionamento da seção viária, no que tange a aspectos de climatologia e de provimento de infraestrutura e demanda para mobilidade urbana. Esta era uma premissa para o aproveitamento da luz e da energia solar em edificações e para que o sistema de transporte urbano fosse mais funcional e energeticamente mais eficiente.

Infecções de corrente sanguínea por bactérias multirresistentes em UTI de tratamento de queimados: experiência de 4 anos

INTRODUÇÃO: O conhecimento do perfil de resistência aos antibióticos das bactérias de um nosocômio é essencial para orientar tratamento adequado dos pacientes. Isso é especialmente importante para os pacientes mais graves, já que o tratamento deve ser instituído antes do resultado das culturas. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o perfil das bactérias multirresistentes encontradas nas hemoculturas de pacientes admitidos na Unidade de Tratamento Intensivo (UTI) da Unidade de Queimados do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. MÉTODO: Foram analisados 178 pacientes internados na UTI para tratamento de queimados, no período de 2009 a 2011, sendo 131 do sexo masculino, com média de idade de 29,2 anos. RESULTADOS: Entre os pacientes analisados, 80 (44,9%) apresentaram hemocultura periférica positiva, sendo 66 (82,5%) casos com bactérias multirresistentes. Em 48 pacientes, foram isoladas Staphylococcus sp., que se apresentaram resistentes à oxacilina em 33 deles. Em 11 pacientes, foram isoladas Acinetobacter baumanii, que se apresentaram resistentes a imipenem em 8 casos. Em 19 pacientes, foram isoladas Pseudomonas sp., resistentes a imipenem em 16 casos. Em 10 pacientes foram isoladas Enterobacter sp., resistentes a amicacina e ciprofloxacina em 2 casos. A presença de bactérias multirresistentes não foi associada a maior ocorrência de óbitos, porém foi verificado maior tempo de internação (52,6 dias vs. 36,3 dias para os grupos com e sem bactérias multirresistentes, respectivamente; P = 0,0306). Não foi encontrada interação significante entre superfície corpórea queimada e presença de bactérias MR. CONCLUSÕES: A presença de bactérias multirresistentes é um problema grave, tanto pela prevalência como pela morbidade e mortalidade associadas.

Proposal for an International Molybdenum Isotope Measurement Standard and Data Representation

Molybdenum isotopes are increasingly widely applied in Earth Sciences. They are primarily used to investigate the oxygenation of Earth's ocean and atmosphere. However, more and more fields of application are being developed, such as magmatic and hydrothermal processes, planetary sciences or the tracking of environmental pollution. Here, we present a proposal for a unifying presentation of Mo isotope ratios in the studies of mass-dependent isotope fractionation. We suggest that the δ98/95Mo of the NIST SRM 3134 be defined as +0.25‰. The rationale is that the vast majority of published data are presented relative to reference materials that are similar, but not identical, and that are all slightly lighter than NIST SRM 3134. Our proposed data presentation allows a direct first-order comparison of almost all old data with future work while referring to an international measurement standard. In particular, canonical δ98/95Mo values such as +2.3‰ for seawater and −0.7‰ for marine Fe–Mn precipitates can be kept for discussion. As recent publications show that the ocean molybdenum isotope signature is homogeneous, the IAPSO ocean water standard or any other open ocean water sample is suggested as a secondary measurement standard, with a defined δ98/95Mo value of +2.34 ± 0.10‰ (2s). Les isotopes du molybdène (Mo) sont de plus en plus largement utilisés dans les sciences de la Terre. Ils sont principalement utilisés pour étudier l'oxygénation de l'océan et de l'atmosphère de la Terre. Cependant, de plus en plus de domaines d'application sont en cours de développement, tels que ceux concernant les processus magmatiques et hydrothermaux, les sciences planétaires ou encore le suivi de la pollution environnementale. Ici, nous présentons une proposition de présentation unifiée des rapports isotopiques du Mo dans les études du fractionnement isotopique dépendant de la masse. Nous suggérons que le δ98/95Mo du NIST SRM 3134 soit définit comme étant égal à +0.25 ‰. La raison est que la grande majorité des données publiées sont présentés par rapport à des matériaux de référence qui sont similaires, mais pas identiques, et qui sont tous légèrement plus léger que le NIST SRM 3134. Notre proposition de présentation des données permet une comparaison directe au premier ordre de presque toutes les anciennes données avec les travaux futurs en se référant à un standard international. En particulier, les valeurs canoniques du δ98/95Mo comme celle de +2,3 ‰ pour l'eau de mer et de -0,7 ‰ pour les précipités de Fe-Mn marins peuvent être conservés pour la discussion. Comme les publications récentes montrent que la signature isotopique moyenne du molybdène de l'océan est homogène, le standard de l'eau océanique IAPSO ou tout autre échantillon d'eau provenant de l'océan ouvert sont proposé comme standards secondaires, avec une valeur définie du δ98/95 Mo de 2.34 ± 0.10 ‰ (2s).

Biotic homogenization can decrease landscape-scale forest multifunctionality

Many experiments have shown that local biodiversity loss impairs the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple ecosystem functions at high levels (multifunctionality). In contrast, the role of biodiversity in driving ecosystem multifunctionality at landscape scales remains unresolved. We used a comprehensive pan-European dataset, including 16 ecosystem functions measured in 209 forest plots across six European countries, and performed simulations to investigate how local plot-scale richness of tree species (α-diversity) and their turnover between plots (β-diversity) are related to landscape-scale multifunctionality. After accounting for variation in environmental conditions, we found that relationships between α-diversity and landscape-scale multifunctionality varied from positive to negative depending on the multifunctionality metric used. In contrast, when significant, relationships between β-diversity and landscape-scale multifunctionality were always positive, because a high spatial turnover in species composition was closely related to a high spatial turnover in functions that were supported at high levels. Our findings have major implications for forest management and indicate that biotic homogenization can have previously unrecognized and negative consequences for large-scale ecosystem multifunctionality.

A picture of trends in Aujeszky's disease virus exposure in wild boar in the Swiss and European contexts.

BACKGROUND In parallel to the increase of wild boar abundance in the past decades, an increase of exposure to the Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) has been reported in wild boar in several parts of Europe. Since high animal densities have been proposed to be one of the major factors influencing ADV seroprevalence in wild boar populations and wild boar abundance has increased in Switzerland, too, a re-evaluation of the ADV status was required in wild boar in Switzerland. We tested wild boar sera collected from 2008-2013 with a commercial ELISA for antibodies against ADV. To set our data in the European context, we reviewed scientific publications on ADV serosurveys in Europe for two time periods (1995-2007 and 2008-2014). RESULTS Seven out of 1,228 wild boar sera were positive for antibodies against ADV, resulting in an estimated seroprevalence of 0.57% (95% confidence interval CI: 0.32-0.96%). This is significantly lower than the prevalence of a previous survey in 2004-2005. The literature review revealed that high to very high ADV seroprevalences are reported from Mediterranean and Central-eastern countries. By contrast, an "island" of low to medium seroprevalences is observed in the centre of Europe with few isolated foci of high seroprevalences. We were unable to identify a general temporal trend of ADV seroprevalence at European scale. CONCLUSIONS The seroprevalence of ADV in wild boar in Switzerland belongs among the lowest documented in Europe. Considering the disparity of seroprevalences in wild boar in Europe, the fact that seroprevalences in Switzerland and other countries have decreased despite increasing wild boar densities and the knowledge that stress leads to the reactivation of latent ADV with subsequent excretion and transmission, we hypothesize that not only animal density but a range of factors leading to stress - such as management - might play a crucial role in the dynamics of ADV infections.

Jack-of-all-trades effects drive biodiversity–ecosystem multifunctionality relationships in European forests

There is considerable evidence that biodiversity promotes multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality), thus ensuring the delivery of ecosystem services important for human well-being. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are poorly understood, especially in natural ecosystems. We develop a novel approach to partition biodiversity effects on multifunctionality into three mechanisms and apply this to European forest data. We show that throughout Europe, tree diversity is positively related with multifunctionality when moderate levels of functioning are required, but negatively when very high function levels are desired. For two well-known mechanisms, ‘complementarity’ and ‘selection’, we detect only minor effects on multifunctionality. Instead a third, so far overlooked mechanism, the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ effect, caused by the averaging of individual species effects on function, drives observed patterns. Simulations demonstrate that jack-of-all-trades effects occur whenever species effects on different functions are not perfectly correlated, meaning they may contribute to diversity–multifunctionality relationships in many of the world’s ecosystems.

Different-sized grazers have distinctive effects on plant functional composition of an African savannah

Grazing ungulates play a key role in many ecosystems worldwide and can form diverse assemblages, such as in African savannahs. In many of these ecosystems, present-day ungulate communities are impoverished subsets of once diverse assemblages. While we know that excluding all ungulates from grasslands can exert major effects on both the structure and composition of the vegetation, how different individual ungulate species may have contrasting effects on grassland communities remains poorly understood. Here, we performed a long-term ‘Russian doll’ grazing exclosure experiment in an African savannah to test for the effects of different size classes of grazers on grassland structure and composition. At five sites, grazer species of decreasing size class (ranging from white rhino to scrub hare) were excluded using four fence types, to experimentally create different realized grazer assemblages. The vegetation structure and the grass functional community composition were characterized in 6 different years over a 10-year period. Additionally, animal footprints were counted to quantify the abundance of different ungulate species in each treatment. We found that while vegetation height was mostly driven by total grazing pressure of all species together, ungulate community composition best explained the functional community composition of grasses. In the short term, smaller ungulate species (‘mesoherbivores’) had strongest effects on vegetation composition, by shifting communities towards dominance by species with low specific leaf area and low nutritional value. In the long term, large grazers had stronger but similar effects on the functional composition of the system. Surprisingly, the largest ‘mega-herbivore’, the white rhinoceros, did not have strong effects on the vegetation structure or composition. Synthesis. Our results support the idea that different size classes of grazers have varying effects on the functional composition of grassland plant communities. Therefore, the worldwide decline in the diversity of ungulate species is expected to have (had) major impacts on community composition and functioning of grassland ecosystems, even if total grazing pressure has remained constant, for example, due to replacement by livestock.

Relocalización de los habitantes de la Villa Potrerillos

"Relocalización de los habitantes de la Villa Poterillos" es un documental que rescata la experiencia de los habitantes que tuvieron que dejar sus casas debido al proyecto de construcción del Dique Potrerillos en la zona. La hoy conocida por los habitantes de la provincia de Mendoza: Villa Potrerillos es la nueva comunidad en donde habitan. Este proyecto se impulsó durante la gestión del ex gobernador de la provincia de Mendoza Dr. Arturo Lafalla con el fin de aprovechar el recurso hídrico, como generador de energía eléctrica y también como emprendimiento turístico. Para llevarlo a cabo se debió reubicar a los ocupantes del lugar, sufriendo éstos grandes consecuencias en la vida y sus costumbres.