Moisture may limit microbial activity in a wide range of environments including salt water, food, wood, biofilms, and soils. Low water availability can inhibit microbial activity by lowering intracellular water potential and thus reducing hydration and activity of enzymes. In solid matrices, low water content may also reduce microbial activity by restricting substrate supply. As pores within so...

PURPOSE The porcelain fused to gold has been widely used as a restoration both with the natural esthetics of the porcelain and durability and marginal fit of metal casting. However, recently, due to the continuous rise in the price of gold, an interest towards materials to replace gold alloy is getting higher. This study compared the bond strength of porcelain to millingable palladium-silver (P...

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that root of maguey (Agave salmiana Otto ex Salm-Dyck) seedlings reacts during the first 24 h to low substrate water potential (PsiW), by anatomical modifications. Three-4 cm root length seedlings were planted in vermiculite for 24 h at PsiW between -0.03 and -2.35 MPa. Root dimensions, proline content and anatomy were evaluated. Substrate ...

A wide range of species can be sown as cover crops during fallow periods to provide various ecosystem services. Plant establishment is a key stage, especially when sowing occurs in summer with high soil temperatures and low water availability. The aim of this study was to determine the response of germination to temperature and water potential for diverse cover crop species. Based on these char...

The surface tension (γ) of xylem sap plays a key role in stabilizing air-water interfaces at the pits between water- and gas-filled conduits to avoid air seeding at low water potentials. We studied seasonal changes in xylem sap γ in Picea abies and Pinus mugo growing at the alpine timberline. We analyzed their vulnerability to drought-induced embolism using solutions of different γ and estimate...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of a diode laser and traditional irrigants on the bond strength of self-adhesive cement. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-five incisors extracted due to periodontal problems were used. All teeth were instrumented using a set of rotary root canal instruments. The post spaces were enlarged for a No.14 (diameter, 1.4 mm) Snowlight (Abrasive ...

The water availability at early phenological stages is critical for crop establishment and sugarcane varieties show differential performance under drought. Herein, we evaluated the relative importance of morphological and physiological plasticity of young sugarcane plants grown under water deficit, testing the hypothesis that high phenotypic plasticity is associated with drought tolerance. IACS...