Corrosion resistance evaluation of Pd-free Ag-Au-Pt-Cu dental alloys.

The corrosion resistance of nine experimental Pd-free Ag-Au-Pt-Cu dental alloys in a 0.9% NaCl solution was investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). CV measurements revealed that the breakdown potential (E(bd)) and zero current potential (E(zc)) increased with increasing Au/(Au+Ag) atomic ratio. Thus, the Au/(Au+Ag) atomic ratio, but not the Cu content, influenced the corrosion resistance of Ag-Au-Pt-Cu alloys. After the forward scan of CV, both optical and scanning electron microscope images showed that in all the experimental alloys, the matrix phase was corroded but not the second phase. From corrosion resistance viewpoint, the Ag-Au-Pt-Cu alloys seemed to be suitable for clinical application.

Recombinant Porphyromonas gingivalis FimA preproprotein expressed in Escherichia coli is lipidated and the mature or processed recombinant FimA protein forms a short filament in vitro.

The gram-negative anaerobic bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis is an etiologically important pathogen for chronic periodontal diseases in adults. Our previous study suggested that the major structural components of both Fim and Mfa fimbriae in this organism are secreted through their lipidated precursors. In this study, we constructed Escherichia coli strains expressing various fimA genes with or without the 5'-terminal DNA region encoding the signal peptide, and we determined whether lipidation of recombinant FimA proteins occurred in E. coli. Lipidation occurred for a recombinant protein from the fimA gene with the 5'-terminal DNA region encoding the signal peptide but not for a recombinant protein from the fimA gene without the signal-peptide-encoding region, as revealed by [3H]palmitic acid labeling experiments. A TLR2-dependent signaling response was induced by the recombinant protein from the fimA gene with the signal-peptide-encoding region but not by a recombinant protein from the fimA gene with the signal-peptide-encoding region that had a base substitution causing an amino acid substitution (C19A). Electron microscopic analysis revealed that recombinant FimA (A-47 - W-383) protein was autopolymerized to form filamentous structures of about 80 nm in length in vitro. The results suggest that FimA protein, a major subunit of Fim fimbriae, is transported to the outer membrane by the lipoprotein sorting system, and a mature or processed FimA protein on the outer membrane is autopolymerized to form Fim fimbriae.

Tarnish resistance evaluation of experimental Pd-free Ag-Au-Pt-Cu dental alloys.

This study evaluated the tarnish resistance of eight experimental Pd-free Ag-Au-Pt-Cu dental alloys in a 0.1% Na(2)S aqueous solution at 37 degrees C. Color measurements of the plate samples were made using a computerized spectrophotometer before and after immersion in the test solution for up to 72 hours. Tarnish discoloration was evaluated using the color difference vector, DeltaE*, in the CIELAB color space. Microstructural observation of each sample through an optical microscope revealed the matrix phase as the major constituent and second-phase small grains in the matrix phase. Selective tarnish discoloration occurred in the matrix, and fractional area of the matrix to the whole surface area was influenced by the sum of Au and Ag concentrations. The DeltaE* value significantly decreased with increasing Au/(Au+Ag) atomic ratio. In conclusion, the Au/(Au+Ag) ratio in an alloy and the fractional area of the matrix were found to be primary and auxiliary factors affecting the tarnish resistance of the experimental alloys.

Two different types of age-hardening behaviors in commercial dental gold alloys.

Age-hardening behavior during continuous heating in commercial dental casting gold alloys was investigated by means of electrical resistivity measurements, hardness tests and X-ray diffraction. Two distinguishable behaviors were detected. It is considered that the difference was attributed to the amount of platinum, and the atomic ratio of gold and copper in each alloy. The phase transformations during continuous heating progressed into two steps (stages I and II). Increase of the platinum addition in gold-based alloys retards the rate of the reaction and decreases remarkably the amount of stage I.

Factors affecting the optical properties of Pd-free Au-Pt-based dental alloys.

The optical properties of experimental Au-Pt-based alloys containing a small amount of In, Sn, and Zn were investigated by spectrophotometric colorimetry to extract factors affecting color of Au-Pt-based high-karat dental alloys. It was found that the optical properties of Au-Pt-based alloys are strongly affected by the number of valence electrons per atom in an alloy, namely, the electron:atom ratio, e/a. That is, by increasing the e/a-value, activities of reflection in the long-wavelength range and absorption in the short-wavelength range in the visible spectrum apparently increased. As a result, the maximum slope of the spectral reflectance curve at the absorption edge, which is located near 515 nm (approximately 2.4 eV), apparently increased with e/a-value. Due to this effect, the b*-coordinate (yellow-blue) in the CIELAB color space considerably increased and the a*-coordinate (red-green) slightly increased with e/a-value. The addition of a third element with a higher number of valence electrons to the binary Au-Pt alloy is, therefore, effective in giving a gold tinge to the parent Au-Pt alloy. This information may be useful in controlling the color of Au-Pt-based dental alloys.