Titanium mini-implants are used as anchorage for orthodontic tooth movements. However, these implants present problems due to the infection of surrounding tissues. The aim of this work was to obtain a polyethylene glycol (PEG) layer by plasma in order to achieve a bacteriostatic surface. Titanium surfaces were activated by argon plasma and, after, by PEG plasma with different powers (100, 150 and 200 W) for 30 and 60 min. The roughness was determined by white light interferometer microscopy and the wettability was determined by the contact angle technique. Surface chemical compositions were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and cytocompatibility and cell adhesion studies were performed with fibroblast (hFFs) and osteoblast (SAOS-2) cells. Bacterial cultures with Spectrococcus Sanguinis and Lactobacillus Salivarius were performed, and bacterial colonization was determined. The results showed that plasma treatments do not affect the roughness. Plasma makes the surfaces more hydrophilic by decreasing the contact angles from 64.2° for titanium to 5.2° for argon-activated titanium, with values ranging from 12° to 25° for the different PEG treatments. The plasma has two effects: the cleaning of the surface and the formation of the PEG layer. The biocompatibility results were, for all cases, higher than 80%. The polymerization treatment with PEG reduced the adhesion of hFFs from 7000 to 6000 and, for SAOS-2, from 14,000 to 6500, for pure titanium and those treated with PEG, respectively. Bacterial adhesion was also reduced from 600 to 300 CFU/mm2 for Spetrococcuns Sanguinis and from 10,000 to 900 CFU/mm2 for Lactobacillus Salivarius. The best bacteriostatic treatment corresponded to PEG at 100 W and 30 s. As a consequence, the PEG coating would significantly prevent the formation of bacterial biofilm on the surface of titanium mini-implants.

The influence of sodium fluoride (NaF) concentration in mouthwashes on the properties of superelastic NiTi orthodontic wires has been studied. In this work, 55.8%Ni and 44.2%Ti (in weight) wires were introduced in commercial mouthwashes with different NaF contents (0, 130, 200 and 380 ppm). The release of Ni2+ and Ti4+ ions was by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) at 1, 4, 7 and 14 days. Superelastic orthodontic wires present at oral temperature the austenitic phase which is transformed into a plastic phase (martensite) by cooling. The temperatures at which this occurs are influenced by the chemical composition. The release of ions from the wire will produce variations in the temperatures and stresses of the stress-induced martensitic transformation. Ms, Mf, As, Af were determined by Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). The transformation stresses (austenite to stress induce martensite) were determined with a servo-hydraulic testing machine at 37 °C. The surfaces for the different times and mouthwash were observed by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The release of Ni2+ in mouthwashes with 380 ppm NaF concentrations reaches 230,000 ppb in 14 days and for Ti4+ 175,000 ppb. When NaF concentrations are lower than 200 ppm the release of Ni and Ti ions is around 1500 ppb after 14 days. This variation in compositions leads to variations in Ms from 27 °C to 43.5 °C in the case of higher NaF concentration. The increasing immersion time and NaF concentrations produce a decrease of Ni in the wires, increasing Ms which exceed 37 °C with the loss of superelasticity. In the same way, the stresses (tooth position corrective) decrease from 270 MPa to 0 MPa due to the martensitic phase. The degradation can produce the growth of precipitates rich in Ti (Ti2Ni). These results are of great interest in the orthodontic clinic in order to avoid the loss of the therapeutic properties of superelastic NiTi due to long immersion in fluoride mouthwashes.

Abstract:The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the nutritional supplement VIUSID vet on the mortality and the productivity behaviour of fattening pigs in a low-input farming system. Two experiments were carried out at a pig farm in the municipality of Jatibonico, Sancti Spíritus province, Cuba. The farm has a low level of specialization, pigs are fed using local resources such as sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) juice and locally produced concentrated feed. In both studies, the treatment consisted in administering together with the feed 2.0 g of VIUSID vet per Kg of feed. Results showed that in low-input rearing conditions, supplying VIUSID vet significantly reduced deaths (17.65%) in the pigs treated, favoured leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, and significantly improved weight gain (16.33%) and feed efficiency (14.41%).

RESUMEN: Estudiamos una serie de cerámicas procedentes de las cuevas de los Murciélagos (Zuheros), de elMuerto (Carcabuey) y Negra (Rute), provincia de Córdoba, que muestran la presencia de un cordón interior perforado situado inmediatamente debajo del labio y, en determinados casos, representaciones de «oculados». Tanto la forma de las vasijas, la tipología de sus asas y las decoraciones no simbólicas, apuntan hacia una adjudicación neolítica. La presencia de temas simbólicos conlleva nuevos planteamientos sobre el tema oculado en el Arte Esquemático andaluz.ABSTRACT: We study a group of pottery fragments found at the caves of «Murciélagos» (Zuheros), «el Muerto» (Carcabuey) and «Negra» (Rute), in the province of Córdoba. All of them show an internal perforated cord just under the rim. Sometimes this feature is combined with «ocular» representations in the neck of the vessels. Their forms, tipology of handles and non-simbolic decoration, lead us to consider them as Neolithic. The analisys of these Neolithic simbolical potteries opens new perspectives about ocular theme in Andalousian Schematic Art.Dentro de la relativa uniformidad cultural que se observa en lo concerniente a la ergología de los yacimientos neolíticos del Subbético cordobés, destacan, por determinadas particularidades morfológicas de caracter funcional y de temática decorativa que presentan, que no a nivel tipológico ni técnico, trece vasijas de cerámica, incompletas, de las que se conservan fragmentos pertenecientes a bordes, cuellos y galbos, procedentes de la Cueva de los Murciélagos (Zuheros), de la Cueva del Muerto (Carcabuey) y de la Cueva Negra (Rute). Sus implicaciones funcionales y su interés a la hora de poner en relación elementos de cultura material, con motivos del arte esquemático parietal y mueble, nos ha impulsado a la realización de este trabajo.La Cueva de los Murciélagos de Zuheros, sobradamente conocida en la bibliografía científica, ha sido objeto de cuatro campañas de excavación realizadas por A.M a. Vicent y A. (Gavilán, 1991; Gavilán y Vera, 1992).En la Cueva Negra de Rute no se ha realizado, por el momento, ningún tipo de actividad arqueológica científica, conociéndose de ella un lote de material neolítico, fruto de recogidas superficiales llevadas a cabo sin ningún tipo de control, que tuvimos la oportunidad de analizar con motivo de la realización de la Tesis Doctoral de uno de nosotros (Gavilán, 1989 b), y lo mismo cabe decir de la Cueva del Muerto (Carcabuey), descubierta en 1986, habiendo proporcionado un enterramiento múltiple con un ajuar poco diagnóstico para permitir una adjudicación cultural fiable y precisa, y un conjunto de items adjudicables al Neolítico Medio-Final unos y otros al Calcolítico (Gavilán, 1986;1987; 1989 b). Para una más extensa documentación sobre estas cavidades, remitimos a la bibliografía citada. CARACTERISTICAS DEL MATERIALDado que el número de vasijas, trece en total, no permite un estudio estadístico y que es imprescindible individualizar sus decoraciones, presentamos la descripción po...

Abstract:The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of administering VIUSID vet powder on the productive behaviour of sows and the quality of semen of boars. Two experiments were conducted on farms in the province of Sancti Spiritus, in the central region of Cuba. One was with sows, starting 21 days before parturition until weaning, and another was with boars in directed mounting. Each sow received 10 grams of VIUSID vet powder everyday, mixed with food, from 21 days before the probable date of farrowing and until weaning (33-day lactation period). In the boars, the treatment consisted of administering 10 grams of VIUSID vet powder with feed, once a day for 6 weeks (week 1 to 6); from week 7 onwards, the supplement was suspended. Results showed that, supplying VIUSID vet powder significantly improved the principal post-partum productivity indicators and significantly reduced diarrhoea and administration to boars in production for 6 weeks, which has improved spermatic motility and does not affect the other variables representative of the quality of the semen.