Removal of temporary cements following an immediate dentin hybridization approach: a comparison of mechanical and chemical methods for substrate cleaning

This study evaluated the microshear bond strength (μSBS) of a composite resin cement to a pre-hybridized dentinal substrate exposed to two kinds of temporary materials; the influence of different cleaning techniques was investigated. Dentinal surfaces were conditioned with an etch-and-rinse adhesive system to obtain an immediately-sealed (IDS) layer. Each surface was divided into quadrants and covered (1) with an eugenol-free (NE_Group) or (2) with a resin-based provisional agent (CL_Group). After storage, the temporary cement was removed by using one of the following methods: (1) Hand-scaler [S]; (2) Alumina air-abrasion [SB]; (3) Glycine-powder air-abrasion [Gly]; (4) D-Limonene chemical solvent [Or]. A new IDS layer was then created; polyethylene tubes were placed on dentin surfaces and filled with a dual-cure resin cement. A universal testing machine was used for the μSBS tests; conditioned surfaces were analyzed at SEM. Means and SD were calculated; a two-way ANOVA (a: 0.05) was performed to detect significant differences among groups. For NE groups, mean μSBS values (MPa) were: 21.6 ± 6.6 [NE_NoT]; 20.7 ± 4.5 [NE_Or]; 20.1 ± 6.6 [NE_SB]; 19.1 ± 5.3 [NE_S]; 17.8 ± 2.2 [NE_Gly]. No significant differences were found among tested treatments within NE (p: 0.5493). For CL groups, mean μSBS values (MPa) ranged from 15.8 ± 2.8 (CL_S50) to 19.4 ± 2.9 (CL_Gly). Cleaning of the substrate with glycine air-abrasion statistically improved μSBS values with respect to aluminum-oxide (CL_SB: 15.8 ± 2.8) or scaling (CL_S: 16.0 ± 2.4). The application of the IDS technique was effective for preservation of freshly-cut dentin from adverse effects of temporary materials. Glycine air-abrasion is suggested when a temporary resin cement is adopted.     

Development of Citrate‐Based Dual‐Imaging Enabled Biodegradable Electroactive Polymers

Increasing occurrences of degenerative diseases, defective tissues, and severe cancers heighten the importance of advanced biomedical treatments, which in turn enhance the need for improved biomaterials with versatile theranostic functionalities yet using minimal design complexity. Leveraging the advantages of citrate chemistry, a multifunctional citrate‐based biomaterial platform is developed with both imaging and therapeutic capabilities utilizing a facile and efficient one‐pot synthesis. The resulting aniline tetramer doped biodegradable photoluminescent polymers (BPLPATs) not only possess programmable degradation profiles (<1 to > 6 months) and mechanical strengths (≈20 MPa to >400 MPa), but also present a combination of intrinsic fluorescence, photoacoustic (PA), and electrical conductivity properties. BPLPAT nanoparticles are able to label cells for fluorescence imaging and perform deep tissue detection with PA imaging. Coupled with significant photothermal performance, BPLPAT nanoparticles demonstrate great potential for thermal treatment and in vivo real‐time detection of cancers. The results on BPLPAT scaffolds demonstrate 3D high‐spatial‐resolution deep tissue PA imaging (23 mm), as well as promote growth and differentiation of PC‐12 nerve cells. It is envisioned that the biodegradable dual‐imaging‐enabled electroactive citrate‐based biomaterial platform will expand the currently available theranostic material systems and open new avenues for diversified biomedical and biological applications via the demonstrated multifunctionality.     

Removal of chromium ions from [corrected] aqueous solutions by adsorption on activated carbon and char

Adsorption isotherms of chromium ions in aqueous solution have been experimentally measured on a granular activated carbon (GAC) and on a char of South African coal (CSAC). Experimental results show that the adsorption capacity for the GAC strongly depends on solution pH and salinity, with maximum values around 7mg/g at neutral pH and low salinity levels. On the contrary, the CSAC shows a smaller adsorption capacity, near 0.3mg/g, which slightly decreases by increasing pH and salinity levels. Chromium adsorption mainly depends on the availability of chromium ions in solution and on the occurrence of redox reactions between the surface groups and the Cr(VI) which lead to the formation of Cr(III). The reduction of Cr(VI) and the following sorption of Cr(III) cations appears as the leading mechanism for chromium uptake on the CSAC. A similar behaviour can be observed for the GAC at pH below 3. On the contrary, at pH>7, the multicomponent competitive adsorption of Cr(VI), OH(-) and Cl(-) has to be considered.     

Interaction between Maillard reaction products and lipid oxidation in starch‐based model systems

The effect of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) on the kinetics of lipid oxidation in intermediate‐moisture model systems containing pregelatinised starch, glucose, lysine and soybean oil has been studied. The samples, either containing all components or excluding one or more of them, were heated at 100 °C for different times. Lipid oxidation and browning indices were measured and the results confirmed the ability of MRPs to retard peroxide formation. Under the conditions adopted, the rate of the Maillard reaction was increased by the presence of the oil and its oxidation products. The antioxidant action of MRPs was also evaluated using a peroxide‐scavenging test based on crocin bleaching. The results demonstrated that antioxidant activity developed with increased browning of the samples. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

On logic programs that do not fail

This paper investigates the advantages of reasoning on logic programs and queries that have only successful derivations. We consider an extension of the logic programming paradigm that combines guarded clauses and delay declarations. The main contribution of this paper consists of some general conditions for a class of programs and queries which imply that successful derivations only are present. A few practical instances of the method are studied, and their applicability demonstrated. The general conditions are derived extending proof methods originally developed for Prolog's programs. From the point of view of parallelism, the method is able to reason about termination (with success) of pipeline parallel executions of programs. In particular, we show some examples of parallelization of terminating Prolog programs. Moreover, from the point of view of nondeterminism, don't care nondeterminism can be safely adopted for the class of programs that have only successfull derivations.     

Nanoscale Elastoplastic Wrinkling of Ultrathin Molecular Films

Ultrathin molecular films deposited on a substrate are ubiquitously used in electronics, photonics, and additive manufacturing methods. The nanoscale surface instability of these systems under uniaxial compression is investigated here by molecular dynamics simulations. We focus on deviations from the homogeneous macroscopic behavior due to the discrete, disordered nature of the deformed system, which might have critical importance for applications. The instability, which develops in the elastoplastic regime above a finite critical strain, leads to the growth of unidimensional wrinkling up to strains as large as 0.5. We highlight both the dominant wavelength and the amplitude of the wavy structure. The wavelength is found to scale geometrically with the film length, λ∝L, up to a compressive strain of ε≃0.4 at least, depending on the film length. The onset and growth of the wrinkling under small compression are quite well described by an extended version of the familiar square-root law in the strain ε observed in macroscopic systems. Under large compression (ε≳0.25), we find that the wrinkling amplitude increases while leaving the cross section nearly constant, offering a novel interpretation of the instability with a large amplitude. The contour length of the film topography is not constant under compression, which is in disagreement with the simple accordion model. These findings might be highly relevant for the design of novel and effective wrinkling and buckling patterns and architectures in flexible platforms for electronics and photonics.     

Citric acid as a green additive to retard calcium carbonate scales on process equipment

In this paper, the retarding effect of a green additive, citric acid, towards calcium carbonate scale deposition is studied. Scale formation is one of the most common causes of malfunctions in process equipment. This is the reason it is crucial to retard scale precipitation, that is, in order to reduce economic damages. With this additive in the solution, experimental runs have been carried out in supersaturation conditions in terms of concentration of calcium carbonate at equilibrium, with a supersaturation ratio ranging from 16 to 280, at 25°C. Three different concentrations of citric acid have been investigated (0.520 × 10⁻³, 1.041 × 10⁻³ and 1.561 × 10⁻³ M) in a laboratory scale plant. Comparing results obtained in terms of induction time with previous experimental runs, performed without additives, citric acid has shown its significant capacity to retard calcium carbonate precipitation, by increasing induction time values. This behaviour is enhanced by raising the additive concentration in solution up to a specific threshold value, beyond which no benefit in terms of calcium scale inhibition is gained. Furthermore, interfacial tension has been computed without and with citric acid at 0.520 × 10⁻³ and 1.041 × 10⁻³ M, as a function of the different concentration amounts investigated. The values obtained are in good agreement with data reported in the literature.