Evidence of yttrium silicate inclusions in YSZ-porcelain veneers.

This report introduces the discovery of crystalline defects that can form in the porcelain veneering layer when in contact with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The focus was on dental prostheses and understanding the defects that form in the YSZ/porcelain system; however the data reported herein may have broader implications toward the use and stability of YSZ-based ceramics in general. Specimens were cut from fully sintered YSZ plates and veneering porcelain was applied (<1 mm thick) to one surface and fired under manufacturer's recommended protocol.

Fatigue testing of electron beam-melted Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy for dental implants.

Customized one-component dental implants have been fabricated using Electron Beam Melting(®) (EBM(®)), which is a rapid prototyping and manufacturing technique. The goal of our study was to determine the effect of electron beam orientation on the fatigue resistance of EBM Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy. EBM technique was used to fabricate Ti-6Al-4V ELI alloy blocks, which were cut into rectangular beam specimens with dimensions of 25 × 4 × 3 mm, such that electron beam orientation was either parallel (group A) or perpendicular (group B) to the long axis of the specimens.

Activation of the hexosamine signaling pathway in adipose tissue results in decreased serum adiponectin and skeletal muscle insulin resistance.

Overexpression of the rate-limiting enzyme for hexosamine synthesis (glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase) in muscle and adipose tissue of transgenic mice was previously shown to result in insulin resistance and hyperleptinemia. Explanted muscle from transgenic mice was not insulin resistant in vitro, suggesting that muscle insulin resistance could be mediated by soluble factors from fat tissue. To dissect the relative contributions of muscle and fat to hexosamine-induced insulin resistance, we overexpressed glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase 2.