Bonding stability of universal adhesives to feldspathic ceramic with or without prior silane application.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the bonding stability of three universal adhesives to a CAD-CAM feldspathic ceramic with or without prior silane application. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The universal adhesives tested were Ambar Universal (FGM), Single Bond Universal (3M), and Ybond Universal (Yller). Scotchbond Multipurpose Plus (3M) was used as a control. The silane used was RelyX Ceramic Primer (3M). Microtensile bond strength (µTBS) to Vitablocs Mark II was measured after 24 h or 6 months of water aging (n = 20). Failure modes were observed through scanning electron microscopy, and pH and degree of C=C conversion (DC) of the adhesives were measured (n = 3). Data were analyzed using one-, two-, and three-way ANOVA. RESULTS: The pH values differed significantly among the adhesives (p < 0.001), while the DC was similar (p = 0.141). The universal adhesives showed significant differences in µTBS, with higher immediate results when using silane and lower results after aging. Notably, a significant decrease in µTBS was observed after 6 months when silane was applied. In contrast, the control adhesive exhibited consistent results between the 24-h and 6-month storage periods. The universal adhesives showed a decrease in µTBS ranging from 25.5% to 40.1% after prolonged storage. Adhesive failures were predominant in all groups. The presence or absence of silane in the adhesive composition did not affect the bonding performance. CONCLUSIONS: The application of a separate silane coupling agent improved the immediate bond strength of universal adhesives to CAD-CAM feldspathic ceramic. However, this bond strength significantly decreased after 6 months of water aging. The bond strength remained stable for universal adhesives when applied without silane after 6 months of aging.

COVID-19 pathophysiology and ultrasound imaging: A multiorgan review.

COVID-19 is a dynamic disease and may affect different tissues and organs as it progresses. Therefore, the impact generated by the disease in all its stages and organs requires a functional and versatile imaging technique able to detect particularities or artifacts dynamically. Ultrasonography fulfills all these requirements and exhibit several advantages relative to other imaging modalities, including portability, lower cost and biosafety. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ultrasonography displayed a crucial role in the triage, monitoring, indicating organ damages and enabling individualized therapeutical decisions in COVID-19 patients. This review is dedicated to highlight the main pathological effects correlated with ultrasound changes caused by COVID-19 in the lungs, heart and liver.

Towards epigenetic regulation of triple-negative breast cancer via ligand-mediated nanoparticles.

Aims: Develop and analyze triple-negative breast cancer targeted nanoparticles loaded with the demethylating agent decitabine. Materials & methods: The polymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of D,L-lactide and formulated into nanoparticles via emulsion-evaporation method. The nanoparticles were characterized by physicochemical analysis as well as in vitro using breast cancer cell lineages. Results & conclusion: The targeted nanoparticles exhibited a hydrodynamic diameter of 75 ± 12 nm, zeta potential -6.3 ± 0.2 mV and spherical morphology, and displayed greater in vitro accumulation into MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative breast cancer cell-line) compared with MCF7 and HB4A cell lineages as verified by fluorescence confocal microscopy and significant demethylating effects via ADAM33 screening by PCR.

Cannabidiol in Dentistry: A Scoping Review.

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been gaining increased attention in contemporary society but seems to have been little explored in dentistry. This scoping review mapped the scientific and technological scenarios related to the use of CBD in dentistry. Peer-reviewed publications were searched in five international databases, patents were searched in five technological platforms. In total, 11 articles and 13 patents involving CBD in dentistry-related applications were included. The countries contributing to most articles were Brazil (27.3%) and USA (18.2%). The studies involved experiments on animals (63.6%) and/or using bacteria or cells (36.4%), and no clinical study was found. Three different applications of CBD were observed: periodontal therapy (45.4%), aid for bone regeneration (27.3%), and general use in oral therapies (27.3%). Patent inventors were based in China (53.8%) or USA (46.2%). The patent claims were mainly compositions for oral care, tooth whitening, injury repair, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects. A total of 76.9% of the patents were filed in association with a company. In general, research suggests that CBD has promising biological properties for applications in dentistry, whereas patents indicate that the current interest of industry relies on compositions for oral care. There appears to be extensive room available for research and technological applications of CBD in dentistry.

Ligand-mediated nanomedicines against breast cancer: a review.

Ligand-mediated targeting represents the cutting edge in precision-guided therapy for several diseases. Surface engineering of nanomedicines with ligands exhibiting selective or tailored affinity for overexpressed biomolecules of a specific disease may increase therapeutic efficiency and reduce side effects and recurrence. This review focuses on newly developed approaches and strategies to improve treatment and overcome the mechanisms associated with breast cancer resistance.

Reporting of conflict of interest and sponsorship in dental journals.

OBJECTIVE: Detailed information on potential conflict of interest (COI) and sponsorship is pivotal for the adequate understanding and appropriate interpretation of the reported study results. The reporting of COI and sponsorship and any potential associations with study characteristics in publications of all dental journals with impact factor was examined. METHODS: The Web of Science database was searched, in March 2019, for articles published from February 28, 2018 to March 1, 2019. A random a sample of 1000 articles in English was selected. Two independent authors extracted the following article characteristics: type of article, dental field, number of authors, country/continent affiliation of the first author, dental journal, journal impact factor, number of citations, Altmetric score, type of COI and sponsorship. Disagreements during data extraction were resolved by discussion and consensus. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the selected variables and multinomial logistic regression was implemented to assess the association between COI, sponsorship, and the other variables. RESULTS: 3% of dental publications declared a COI, whereas in 32.5% of publications the presence of COI was unclear. The most prevalent type of COI was financial (n = 26). Non-profit organizations funded 37.2% of the articles, while the sponsorship for 40.4% articles was unclear. Regression analysis showed that publications reporting COI had greater odds of receiving sponsorship from for-profit sources. CONCLUSIONS: Sponsorship and COI information seem to be underreported in dental journals. Efforts should be made by authors, journals, and publishers to provide more comprehensive information to allow the reader to understand the potential impact of sponsorship and COI on study results. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The underreporting of COI and sponsorship in dental articles hinders the interpretation of findings by readers. The results of the present study bring attention to this important topic as well as guide further improvements on the reporting of COI and sponsorship in dental articles.