In vitro cultivation of Vismia japurensis: Isolation of the new anthrone 1,8,10-trihydroxy-3,10-dimethyl-9(10H)-anthracenone.

Vismia japurensis Reichardt is a plant of ecological and chemical importance from which a variety of bioactive substances have been isolated. The current study aimed to establish in vitro cultures of this species as a source of secondary metabolites. Appropriate decontamination treatments and germination tests were performed and, after in vitro culture establishment, the propagated plants were multiplied in a sterile environment to increase the biomass of available experimental material.

Sharing of living area and exposure of domestic and wild canids to ticks, Rickettsia parkeri and Rangelia vitalii in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil.

Spotted fever caused by the bacterium Rickettsia parkeri, and canine rangeliosis caused by the protozoan Rangelia vitalii, are emerging or re-emerging tick-borne diseases in Brazil, where the main tick vectors are Amblyomma ovale and Amblyomma aureolatum, respectively. In the present study, we evaluated exposure to R. parkeri and R.

Author Correction: An assay for the identification of Plasmodium simium infection for diagnosis of zoonotic malaria in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Hard and Soft Tissue Cell Behavior on Polyetheretherketone, Zirconia, and Titanium Implant Materials.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize and compare the behavior of human osteoblasts and human gingival fibroblasts in contact with polyetheretherketone (PEEK), zirconia, and titanium implant surface materials.

Materials And Methods: PEEK, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YTZP), and titanium discs were produced under appropriate and similar conditions to achieve controlled surface features. Human osteoblasts and human gingival fibroblasts were cultured on discs for 14 days.

Morphofunctional diversity of equine of varied genetic compositions raised in the Pantanal biome of Brazil.

Evaluating phenotypic diversity makes it possible to identify discrepancies in aptitudes among animals of different genetic bases, which is an indicator of adaptive or selective differences between populations. The objective of this work was to evaluate the morphofunctional diversity of 452 male and female adult equines (Arabian, Quarter Mile, Pantaneiro, and Criollo breeds, and undefined crossbreeds of horses and mules) raised in the Pantanal biome (Brazil). Linear measurements were performed to estimate conformation indexes.

Human migration and the spread of malaria parasites to the New World.

We examined the mitogenomes of a large global collection of human malaria parasites to explore how and when Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax entered the Americas. We found evidence of a significant contribution of African and South Asian lineages to present-day New World malaria parasites with additional P.

An assay for the identification of Plasmodium simium infection for diagnosis of zoonotic malaria in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Zoonotic malaria poses a unique problem for malaria control. Autochthonous cases of human malaria in the Atlantic Forest have recently been attributed to Plasmodium simium, a parasite that commonly infects non-human primates in this Brazilian biome. However, due to its close similarity at both the morphological and molecular level to Plasmodium vivax, the diagnosis of P.

THERMAL RESIDUAL STRESSES IN BILAYERED, TRILAYERED AND GRADED DENTAL CERAMICS.

Layered ceramic systems are usually hit by residual thermal stresses created during cooling from high processing temperature. The purpose of this study was to determine the thermal residual stresses at different ceramic multi-layered systems and evaluate their influence on the bending stress distribution. Finite elements method was used to evaluate the residual stresses in zirconia-porcelain and alumina-porcelain multi-layered discs and to simulate the 'piston-on-ring' test.

The bending stress distribution in bilayered and graded zirconia-based dental ceramics.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biaxial flexural stresses in classic bilayered and in graded zirconia-feldspathic porcelain composites. A finite element method and an analytical model were used to simulate the piston-on-ring test and to predict the biaxial stress distributions across the thickness of the bilayer and graded zirconia-feldspathic porcelain discs. An axisymmetric model and a flexure formula of Hsueh et al.

Chemical, microscopic, and microbiological analysis of a functionalized poly-ether-ether-ketone-embedding antibiofilm compounds.

Poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) is currently introduced as an alternative material for orthopedic implants due to its biocompatibility and low elastic modulus compared to titanium. Also, a sulphonation treatment can functionalize PEEK to embed therapeutical substances. The objective of this work was to functionalize a PEEK film to incorporate novel lactam-based antibiofilms compounds.

Biofilm behavior on sulfonated poly(ether-ether-ketone) (sPEEK).

Poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) has also shown to be very attractive for incorporating therapeutic compounds thanks to a sulfonation process which modifies the material structure resulting in a sulfonated-PEEK (sPEEK). Concerning biomedical applications, the objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of different sulfonation degree of sPEEK on the biofilm growth. PEEK samples were functionalized by using sulphuric acid (98%) and then dissolved into dimethyl-sulfoxide.

Detection of Plasmodium in faeces of the New World primate Alouatta clamitans.

Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax have evolved with host switches between non-human primates (NHPs) and humans. Studies on the infection dynamics of Plasmodium species in NHPs will improve our understanding of the evolution of these parasites; however, such studies are hampered by the difficulty of handling animals in the field. The aim of this study was to detect genomic DNA of Plasmodium species from the faeces of New World monkeys.

Ovarian cycle of southern brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba clamitans) through fecal progestin measurement.

The ovarian cycle in howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) has beean investigated through several biological parameters (ranging between 16.3 and 29.5 days); however, no data exist concerning the ovarian activity of the southern brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba clamitans).

Biofilm Affecting the Mechanical Integrity of Implant-Abutment Joints.

Purpose: This in vitro study evaluated the effect of biofilms on abutment torque loss and wear of implant internal connection surfaces.

Materials And Methods: Morse taper abutments were torqued to corresponding implants and then the implant-abutment assemblies were immersed in a biofilm medium for 72 hours. After detorque evaluation, the abutments were removed and the inner implant surfaces were observed via scanning electron microscopy and profilometry.

Removal Torque and Biofilm Accumulation at Two Dental Implant-Abutment Joints After Fatigue.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the removal torque and in vitro biofilm penetration at Morse taper and hexagonal implant-abutment joints after fatigue tests.

Materials And Methods: Sixty dental implants were divided into two groups: (1) Morse taper and (2) external hexagon implant-abutment systems. Fatigue tests on the implant-abutment assemblies were performed at a normal force (FN) of 50 N at 1.

Rickettsia sp. Strain Atlantic Rainforest Infection in a Patient from a Spotted Fever-Endemic Area in Southern Brazil.

Santa Catarina State in southern Brazil is the state with the second highest number of laboratory-confirmed cases of spotted fever illness in Brazil. However, all these cases were confirmed solely by serological analysis (seroconversion to spotted fever group rickettsiae), which has not allowed identification of the rickettsial agent. Here, a clinical case of spotted fever illness from Santa Catarina is shown by seroconversion and molecular analysis to be caused by Rickettsia sp.

Biofilm Formation on Different Materials Used in Oral Rehabilitation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the density and the morphological aspects of biofilms adhered to different materials applied in oral rehabilitation supported by dental implants. Sixty samples were divided into four groups: feldspar-based porcelain, CoCr alloy, commercially pure titanium grade IV and yttria-stabilized zirconia. Human saliva was diluted into BHI supplemented with sucrose to grow biofilms for 24 or 48 h.

Effect of Zirconia and Alumina Fillers on the Microstructure and Mechanical Strength of Dental Glass Ionomer Cements.

Background: Glass-ionomer cements perform a protective effect on the dentin-pulp complex considering the F ions release and chemical bonding to the dental structures. On the other hand, those materials have poor physic-mechanical properties in comparison with the restorative resin composite. The main aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of zirconia and/or alumina fillers on the microstructure and strength of a resin modified glass-ionomer cement after thermal cycling.

SEROLOGICAL DETECTION OF HEPATITIS A VIRUS IN FREE-RANGING NEOTROPICAL PRIMATES (Sapajus spp., Alouatta caraya) FROM THE PARANÁ RIVER BASIN, BRAZIL.

Nonhuman primates are considered as the natural hosts of Hepatitis A virus (HAV), as well as other pathogens, and can serve as natural sentinels to investigate epizootics and endemic diseases that are of public health importance. During this study, blood samples were collected from 112 Neotropical primates (NTPs) (Sapajus nigritus and S. cay, n = 75; Alouatta caraya, n = 37) trap-captured at the Paraná River basin, Brazil, located between the States of Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul.

Tribocorrosion behavior of veneering biomedical PEEK to Ti6Al4V structures.

In dentistry, prosthetic structures must be able to support masticatory loads combined with a high biocompatibility and wear resistance in the presence of a corrosive environment. In order to improve the simultaneous wear and corrosion response of highly biocompatible prosthetic structures, a veneering poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) to Ti6Al4V substrate was assessed by tribocorrosion analyses under conditions mimicking the oral environment. Samples were synthesized by hot pressing the PEEK veneer onto Ti6Al4V cylinders.

How do titanium and Ti6Al4V corrode in fluoridated medium as found in the oral cavity? An in vitro study.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the corrosion of commercially pure (CP) titanium and Ti6Al4V in vitro at different F(-) concentrations regularly found in the oral cavity by using different electrochemical tests and surface analysis techniques. electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), open circuit potential (OCP) and potentiodynamic polarization tests were associated to advanced characterization techniques such as SEM, EDS, AFM, ICP-MS and XPS. OCP tests revealed a higher reactivity of both CP titanium and Ti6Al4V at 12,300 ppm F(-) concentration than that recorded at 227 ppm F(-).

Epidemiology of Rickettsia sp. strain Atlantic rainforest in a spotted fever-endemic area of southern Brazil.

The present study was performed in Vila Itoupava, an area of the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil, in which a tick-borne spotted fever illness has been endemic since 2003. Notably, both the etiological agent and the vector of these spotted fever cases remain unknown. During January 2011, humans, domestic dogs, and their ticks were sampled in households that are typically surrounded by highly preserved Atlantic rainforest fragments.

Fracture and shear bond strength analyses of different dental veneering ceramics to zirconia.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the interaction of different layering porcelains with zirconia via shear bond strength test and microscopy. Four different groups of dental veneering porcelains (VM9, Zirkonzanh, Ceramco, IPS) were fused onto forty zirconia-based cylindrical substrates (8mm in diameter and 12 mm in height) (n=10), according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Additionally, layered dental porcelain (D-sign, Ivoclar) was fired on ten Ni-Cr cylindrical substrates Shear bond strength tests of the veneering porcelain to zirconia or Ni-Cr were carried out at a crosshead speed of 0.

Mechanical and chemical analyses across dental porcelain fused to CP titanium or Ti6Al4V.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution of mechanical properties and chemical variation across veneering dental porcelain fused to different titanium-based substrates. Test samples were synthesized by fusing dental feldspar-based porcelain onto commercially pure titanium grade II or Ti6Al4V alloy. Samples were cross-sectioned at angles of 10 and 90° to the interface plane.