New blend of renewable bioplastic based on starch and acetylated xylan with high resistance to oil and water vapor.

Renewable materials of biological origin exhibit attractive properties in relation to traditional plastics, as they can be partially or completely replaced, thereby reducing environmental impacts. Hemicelluloses are a group of polysaccharides that have expanded applications when acetylated. Acetylation can improve the mechanical strength and water vapor barrier properties of xylan-based bioplastics. By partially acetylating xylan in the present study, it was possible to use water as a solvent for the film-forming solution and starch as a second polysaccharide in the formation of bioplastics. Xylan was modified via partial chemical acetylation by varying the reaction time, solvent, and catalyst content. The bioplastics were formed by non-acetylated xylan and acetylated xylan with degrees of substitution (DS) of 0.45 and 0.9, respectively, with starch to form blends using glycerol as a plasticizer. Acetylation with DS 0.45 showed better results in increasing the hydrophilicity of the bioplastic. On the other hand, acetylation influenced the thermal stability of bioplastics, increasing the maximum temperature of the degradation rate from 302 °C to 329 °C and 315 °C, owing to changes in the crystallinity of the polymers. In addition to the modulus of elasticity 2.99 to 290.61 and 274.67 MPa for the non-acetylated bioplastic and the bioplastic with DS of 0.45 and 0.90, respectively. Thus, the films obtained presented suitable physicochemical properties for use in various industrial applications, such as active and intelligent packaging in the food sector.

Clinical and economic outcomes of cesarean deliveries with skin closure through skin staples plus waterproof wound dressings versus 2-octyl cyanoacrylate plus polymer mesh tape.

PURPOSE: To compare clinical and economic outcomes of cesarean deliveries with skin closure through skin staples plus waterproof wound dressings (SSWWD) versus 2-octyl cyanoacrylate plus polymer mesh tape (2OPMT). We hypothesized that cesarean deliveries with skin closure through 2OPMT may be associated with a lower rate of wound complications and infections as compared with skin closure through SSWWD; we also hypothesized that, accordingly, 2OPMT may be associated with lower hospital length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, and all-cause readmissions as compared with SSWWD. METHODS: Retrospective, observational study using a research database derived from administrative records routinely contributed by hundreds of hospitals in the USA. We queried the database for patients aged 18-49 years who had an in-hospital low transverse cesarean delivery between 1 January, 2012 and 31 March, 2017. Using records of medical supplies used during deliveries, we identified deliveries for which skin closure was performed by either SSWWD (SSWWD group) or 2OPMT (2OPMT group). Our primary study outcome was a composite endpoint of infection/wound complication diagnosis during the hospital stays in which the deliveries were performed. Our secondary outcomes included: length of stay (LOS) and total hospital costs for the hospital stays in which the deliveries were performed, and all-cause readmissions (30/60/90 days post discharge) to the same hospital in which the delivery was performed. We compared outcomes between propensity-score matched groups using regressions accounting for hospital-level clustering and non-Gaussian empirical outcome distributions. RESULTS: Each group comprised 2133 patients (4266 total patients; mean age = 30.3 years [SD = 4.6]). Compared with the SSWWD group, the 2OPMT group had statistically significant lower rates of complications (infection, 0.7 versus 1.6%, p = .011; wound complication, 0.6 versus 1.3%, p = .036; composite, 0.9 versus 2.0%, p = .002), shorter LOS (mean = 3.5 days [SD = 1.6] versus 3.7 days [SD = 1.8], p = .007), and lower total hospital costs (mean = $8879 [SD = $3157] versus $9313 [SD = $3311], p = .025). Between-group differences for 30/60/90-day all-cause readmissions were statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: This large observational study is the first of its kind and provides evidence that cesarean delivery skin closure with 2OPMT is associated with lower rates of in-hospital infection and wound complications, lower LOS, lower total hospital costs as compared with SSWWD.

Infiltraçäo marginal em restauraçöes de Classe II em amálgama adesivo / Marginal leakage around Class II amalgambond restorations

Foi efetuado um estudo a fim de se demonstrar a diferença na infiltraçäo marginal entre restauraçöes de amálgama adesivo e restauraçöes em amálgama convencional (verniz cavitário). Preparos cavitários tipo Classe II foram confeccionados em vinte e quatro dentes recém-extraídos. Doze dentes foram restaurados com amálgama e Panavia e o restante com amálgama e verniz cavitário. Os dentes restaurados foram colocados em uma soluçäo corante e em seguida, submetidos a ciclo térmico. Após o ciclo térmico, foram removidos da soluçäo corante e em seguido seu longo eixo no sentido mésio-distal, a fim de se analisar a parede cervical do preparo. A análise demostrou a presença de infiltraçäo marginal em ambas as técnicas, mas com maior número nas restauraçöes confeccionadas em amálgama adesivo. A técnica do amálgama adesivo foi considerada mais dificil que a técnica convencional (amálgama+verniz cavitário), pois um maior número de falhas na condensaçäo do amálgama foram detectadas

Características de algumas técnicas de obturaçäo dos canais radiculares / Characteristics of some techniques of root canal fillings

Este trabalho foi feito com o propósito de verificar as características das técnicas de condensaçäo lateral, McSPADDEN, híbrida de TAGGER e híbrida modificada, empregando-se os cimentos Endofill e Sealer-26. Para tanto, utilizou-se 50 dentes humanos extraídos que foram obturados, diafanizados e examinados em lupa estereoscópica. Os resultados revelaram que o cimento sealer-26 escurece no canal. Que as técnicas de guta-percha termoplastificada proporcionam obturaçäo mais homogênea e mais completa do canal radicular. Contudo, nestas técnicas o extravasamento é mais freqüente