Background: Removable prostheses have seen a fundamental change recently because of advances in polymer materials, allowing improved durability and performance. Despite these advancements, notable differences still occur amongst various polymer materials and processing technologies, requiring a thorough grasp of their mechanical, physical, and therapeutic implications. The compressive strength of dentures manufactured using various technologies will be investigated. Methods: Traditional, injection molding, and additive and subtractive CAD/CAM processing techniques, all utilizing Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as the main material, were used to construct complete dentures. The specimens underwent a compressive mechanical test, which reveals the differences in compressive strength. Results: All the specimens broke under the influence of a certain force, rather than yielding through flow, as is characteristic for plastic materials. For each specimen, the maximum force (N) was recorded, as well as the breaking energy. The mean force required to break the dentures for each processing technology is as follows: 4.54 kN for traditional packing-press technique, 17.92 kN for the injection molding technique, 1.51 kN for the additive CAD/CAM dentures, and 5.9 kN for the subtractive CAD/CAM dentures. Conclusions: The best results were obtained in the case of the thermoplastic injection system and the worst results were recorded in the case of 3D printed samples. Another important aspect depicted is the standard deviation for each group, which reveal a relatively unstable property for the thermoplastic injected dentures. Good results here in terms of absolute property and stability of the property can be conferred to CAD/CAM milled group.

The dendroflora of an urban arboretum (The Botanic Park of Timișoara, Romania), consisting of 193 species, was ecologically characterized as bioforms, phytogeographical elements, and preferences for moisture, temperature, and soil pH. The aim of the research was to determine whether the native ecological requirements of the woody species, along with certain biological and evolutionary traits of them, such as plant life-form and plant family, could serve as tools for explaining and understanding the strategies employed by the urban woody phytocoenoses to acclimate and adapt to an established environment, such as an urban arboretum. The inventoried species are grouped in 111 genera and 45 families. The native and non-native dendroflora share 16 common families. The most representative family both in the native and non-native dendroflora is Rosaceae. The monotypic families are largely present (22.22% in the native dendroflora, and 42.22% in the non-native dendroflora). The plant life-form spectrum is dominated by megaphanerophytes (49%), followed by mesophanerophytes (41%). The chorological spectrum of the native species comprises 16 chorological types and is dominated by Eurasians (32%) and Europeans (30%). The species characteristics of the Pontic-Carpathian space, to which Romania belongs, are rare in the analyzed urban botanical park (4%). The mesophyte, mesothermal and slightly acido-neutrophilous species dominate both the native and non-native dendroflora. In the acclimation process of the non-native dendroflora, 37% of species exceeded their native requirements for moisture, 41% for temperature, and 50% for soil pH. The species requirements for temperature are associated to those for moisture and soil pH. The results show the potential of the analysed woody species to exceed their native requirements within the acclimation and adaption process, and in this process, for the studied temperate site, the plant life-form is important, and also the plant family. The species of the analyzed urban arboretum, both native and non-native, are taxonomically and biogeographically diverse, with specific habitat requirements, suggesting their great ability in acclimating, adapting and resisting.

Aim of the study. In this study, we examined how the choice of fabrication technology impacts the flexural strength of denture bases, considering the potential long-term consequences of permanent stresses on these structures. Such stresses can eventually result in cracking, fracture, or a loss of adaptation within the prosthetic field, which undergoes dynamic changes over time. Material and methods. The flexural strength was tested on specimens made of the same material (based on thermopolymerizable PMMA), using three different technologies: the classic press packing process and traditional polymerization, the injection technology and polymerization under constant pressure and an original suction-injection process (vacuum-pressure alternation), with polymerization under continuous pressure. The actual testing of the flexural strength was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Strength of Materials within the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture Timisoara. Results & Conclusions. Superior outcomes were achieved through the suction-injection method, with polymerization under sustained pressure, in comparison to injection techniques associated with polymerization under constant pressure. These results surpassed those attained through manual press packing procedures and traditional hot polymerization methods.

The dendroflora of an urban arboretum, consisting of 193 species, was ecologically characterized as bioforms, phytogeographical elements, and preferences for moisture, temperature, and soil reaction. The inventoried species are grouped in 111 genera and 45 families. The native and non-native dendroflora share 16 common families. The most representative family both in the native and non-native dendroflora is Rosaceae. The monotypic families are largely present (22.22% in the native dendroflora, and respectively 42.22% in the non-native dendroflora). The plant life-form spectrum is dominated by megaphanerophytes (49%), followed by mesophanerophytes (41%). The chorological spectrum of the native species comprises 16 chorological types and is dominated by Eurasians (32%) and Europeans (30%). The species characteristics of the Pontic-Carpathian space, to which Romania belongs, are rare in the analyzed urban park (4%). The mesophyte, mesothermal and slightly acido-neutrophilous species dominate both the native and non-native dendroflora. In the adaption process of the non-native dendroflora, 37% of species exceeded their native requirements for moisture, 41% for temperature, and 50% for soil reaction. The species requirements for temperature are associated to those for moisture and soil reaction. The results show the potential of the analysed woody species to exceed their native requirements within the acclimation and adaption process, and in this process, for the studied temperate site, the plant life-form is important, and also the plant family. The species of the analyzed urban arboretum, both native and non-native, are taxonomically and biogeographically diverse, with specific habitat requirements, suggesting their great ability in acclimating, adapting and resisting.

The severe decrease in natural sturgeon stocks has led to intensified efforts toward the development of sturgeon aquaculture and the application of reproductive biotechnologies to ensure sustainable production. In cultured male Acipenser ruthenus (sterlet), spermiation must be hormonally induced to obtain high-quality semen; however, reducing hormonal dosages while maintaining or improving sperm quality remains a major challenge. In this study, we investigated the effects of reduced doses of carp pituitary extract (CPE) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (LH-RH) combined with Apilarnil supplementation on spermiation and semen quality in A. ruthenus. Semen volume, pH, sperm concentration, total sperm output, total motility, and spermatozoa velocity were evaluated. Administering a reduced CPE dose (1.1 mg·kg⁻¹) combined with 1 g of Apilarnil significantly increased semen volume, sperm concentration, and total sperm output, as well as improved sperm kinematic parameters (total motility and velocity) compared with the conventional hormonal protocol. Furthermore, treatments using 50% of the standard LH-RH dose supplemented with 1 g or 2 g of Apilarnil resulted in significantly higher sperm motility and velocity than observed in the control group. These results demonstrate that Apilarnil supplementation allows for a substantial reduction in exogenous hormonal doses while enhancing spermiation efficiency and semen quality in sterlet, supporting the spermiation-induction protocol for sturgeon aquaculture.

Research Journal of Agricultural Science