ACTIVE THERMOGRAPHY TECHNIQUE FOR FATIGUE DAMAGE CHARACTERIZATION IN GEARS

Active Thermography (AT) is a Non Destructive Technique (NDT) that may be an efficient alternative to evaluate possible microstructural alterations inside materials due to damaging conditions. In this paper, a fatigue damage identification on two different gears (standard and thin-rim) was conducted by using an AT approach with a Lock-In technique. Both gears were previously tested under bending fatigue conditions, by loading the teeth at the so called Single Contact Point by a dedicated equipment. Damaged and undamaged zones were identified, phase maps and thermal diffusivities were estimated. In this way, a possible fatigue damage characterisation was pointed out by using the thermal diffusivity variation as damage parameter

Fibroblast behavior after titanium surfaces exposure.

Background: The main requirements for a good material are its ability to promote attraction and adhesion of bone precursor cells and their proliferation and differentiation. Different biocompatible materials are currently employed as scaffold. Among these, titanium is considered a gold standard because of its biocompatibility and good corrosion resistance. Materials and Methods: The aim of this work was to compare two different AoN titanium layers (GR4 and GR5) to investigate which one had a greater osteoconductive power using human fibroblasts (HFb) culture at two different time-points. The expression levels of some adhesion and traction-resistance related genes (COL11A1, COL2A1, COL9A1, DSP, ELN, HAS1, and TFRC) were analyzed using real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results: After 7 days of treatment with TiA 4GR, the only two up-regulated genes were COL2A1 and DSP. After 15 days of treatment, none of genes over expressed. Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest that neither AoN 4GR nor AoN 5GR are able to promote the production of protein involved in cell\u2013cell and cell\u2013matrix adhesion and in stress-resistance, required for a good outcome in dental implantolog

Titanium alloys (AoN) and their involvement in osseointegration.

Background: Osseointegration is essential for a long-term successful and inflammation-free dental implant. Such a result depends on osteoblastic cells growth and differentiation at the tissue-implant interface. The aim of this study was to compare two different AoN titanium layers (GR4 and GR5) to investigate which one had a greater osteoconductive power using human osteoblasts (HOb) culture at two different time-points. Materials and Methods: The expression levels of some bone-related (ALPL, COL1A1, COL3A1, SPP1, RUNX2, and SPARC) were analyzed using real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR). Results: Real-time RT-PCR data showed that after 3 days of treatment with TiA4GR, the genes up-regulated were COL3A1, ALPL, SPP1, and RUNX2. Moreover, no difference in gene expression was noticed 4 days later. On the other hand, the genes that overexpressed after 3 days of treatment with AoN5GR were ALPL, SPP1, and RUNX2. In both cases, the expression of COL1A1 and SPARC was negatively regulated. Conclusion: Our data showed that both titanium surfaces led to osteoblasts recruitment, maturation, and differentiation, thus promoting osseointegration at the tissue-implant interface

Titanium nanotubes stimulate osteoblast differentiation of stem cells from pulp and adipose tissue

BACKGROUND: Titanium is the gold standard among materials used for prosthetic devices because of its good mechanical and chemical properties. When exposed to oxygen, titanium becomes an oxide, anatase that is biocompatible and able to induce osseointegration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IN THIS STUDY WE COMPARED THE EXPRESSION PROFILING OF STEM CELLS CULTIVATED ON TWO TYPES OF SURFACE: Pure titanium disk and nanotube titanium disk in order to detect if nanotube titanium instead (NTD) surface stimulates stem cells towards osteoblast differentiation. RESULTS: Stem cells cultivated on nanotube titanium disks showed the upregulation of bone-related genes RUNX2, FOSL1 and SPP1. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrated that nanotube titanium disk surface is more osteo-induced surface compared to titanium disk, promoting the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells in osteoblasts

Estudio petrológico de la "Unidad Salina" de la Cuenca del Tajo

Se presenta un esquema fotogeológico de los principales afloramien tos de Ja Unidad Salina y un mapa de distribución de las facies evaporíticas. Se estudia la petrografía de la Unidad Salina de la Cuenca del Tajo, que presenta una interesante paragénesis de sa les sódicas. Se describen estructu ras de deformación en facies anhidrítico - magnesíticas, diferentes formas de cristales de anhidrita (idiomorfos, manojos (asciculares, cristales en " lazo" ... ). texturas seudomórficas en yeso. texturas primarias y secundarias en glauberita y halita. Se analizan también las diferentes facies texturales polihalíticas, entre las que cabe destacar las esferulíticas y las "afieltradas", así como las facies thenardíticas. De todo ello se deduce una secuencia mineralógica

Customer Satisfaction in Inbound Call Centers: A Study on the Role of Responsiveness and Assurance in Perceived Service Quality

The aim of this study is to analyze customer satisfaction in Inbound Call Centers and examine the relationship between Responsiveness and Assurance in Perceived Service Quality. The researchers proposed to study theoretical foundations on customer satisfaction and service quality dimensions adopting SERVQUAL Model to investigative the impact of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction to meet the research objective. The association between perceived service quality and customer satisfaction will assist call center management to clarify the role of service quality dimensions in perceived service quality through customer point of view. The respondents for this study are the customers who receive service from call center of Telecommunication service providers in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. This research tested the effect of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and reported that both dimensions (responsiveness and assurance) had positive impact on customer satisfaction. Research results explore that Assurance has more impact on customer satisfaction than Responsiveness

Búhos pequeños en relación a la estructura del hábitat: ocurrencia de Alilicucu Común (Megascops choliba) y Caburé Chico (Glaucidium brasilianum) en el Bosque Serrano del centro de Argentina

Los búhos Neotropicales son depredadores tope poco estudiados. Su ocurrencia es afectada por la estructura del bosque y las características del paisaje. Reportamos detecciones de Alilicucu Común (Megascops choliba) y Caburé Chico (Glaucidium brasilianum) en relación con características del hábitat en el centro de Argentina. Durante la primavera de 2019, muestreamos 250 ha de Bosque Serrano, medimos características del hábitat en sitios de presencia/ausencia y estimamos las densidades de búhos. M. choliba (0.16 individuos/ha) se asoció positivamente con el número de árboles muertos en pie y G. brasilianum (0.054 individuos/ha) con la proporción de árboles pequeños. Sugerimos que estas características del hábitat serían covariables importantes para estudiar estos búhos.Owls are top predators poorly studied in the Neotropics. Their occurrences can be affected by forest structure and landscape features. We report Tropical Screech-Owl (Megascops choliba) and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) detections in relation to habitat characteristics in central Argentina. During the spring of 2019, we surveyed 250 ha of mountain forest, measured habitat characteristics in presences/absences sites, and estimated owls’ densities. M. choliba (0.16 individuals/ha) was positively associated with snag whereas G. brasilianum (0.05 individuals/ha) was positively associated with proportions of small trees. Our results suggest that these habitat characteristics might be important covariates when studying these two species.Fil: Juncosa Polzella, Agostina Silvia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Merlo, Francis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Cura, Miguel F.. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Zoología Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Zárate, Valentín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; Argentin

Phenytoin and gingival mucosa: A molecular investigation.

Several distinct classes of drugs, such as anticonvulsants, immunosuppressants, and calcium channel blockers, caused gingival overgrowth. One of the main drugs associated with the gingival overgrowth is the anti-epileptic such as phenytoin, which affects gingival tissues by altering extracellular matrix metabolism. In our study, we evaluate the effect of phenytoin, a drug whose active substance is phenytoin, on gingival fibroblasts of healthy volunteers. Gene expression of 29 genes was investigated in gingival fibroblasts' cell culture treated with phenytoin compared with untreated cells. Among the studied genes, only 13 genes (CXCL5, CXCL10, CCR1, CCR3, CCR5, CCR6, IL-1A, IL-1B, IL-5, IL-7, IL-6R, BMP-2, and TNFSF-10) were statistically significant. All but one gene resulted downregulated after 24\u2009h of treatment with phenytoin. BPM2 was the only, although weakly, up-expressed gene. Probably, we have not highlighted overexpression of the other inflammatory molecules because the study was performed on healthy people. Many studies show that phenytoin induces the overexpression of these cytokines but, probably, in our study, the drug does not have the same effect because we used gingival fibroblasts of healthy people