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Resumo Os professores universitários estão expostos a um aumento de tensão no trabalho pela fragmentação da sua atividade e as responsabilidades exigidas, sem que, em muitas situações, tenham as condições necessárias para responder adequadamente. Tal situação pode representar condições estressoras, aumentando o risco de transtornos mentais. Investigou-se a associação entre transtornos mentais comuns e estressores no trabalho entre professores de nove cursos da área da saúde de uma universidade particular em Minas Gerais. A variável dependente foi a presença de transtornos mentais, avaliada pelo Questionário de Saúde Geral 12. Os estressores no trabalho foram avaliados pelo modelo Esforço-Recompensa e Comprometimento excessivo. As demais variáveis foram: sociodemográfi-cas, história ocupacional, comportamentais e referentes à saúde geral. Os dados foram submetidos à análise descritiva, análise bivariada e regressão de Poisson. Participaram 175 professores (80,0%), e 19,5% apresentaram transtornos mentais comuns. A prevalên-cia desses transtornos foi maior entre professores com maior esforço no trabalho (RP= 1,8; IC95%= 1,(1)(2)(3)46) e menor naqueles com maior qualidade de vida no domínio físico (RP= 0,95, IC95%= 0,97). Conclui-se que há uma prevalência considerável de transtornos mentais comuns entre professores universitários, sendo maior naqueles que se esforçam mais no trabalho e com pior qualidade de vida no domínio físico. Palavras-chave saúde mental; docentes; qualidade de vida; saúde do trabalhador; esgotamento profissional.Abstract Professors are exposed to increased tension at work on account of the fragmentation of their activities and of the responsibilities demanded of them without, in many cases, their having the conditions they need in order to respond adequately. Such a situation may represent stressful conditions, which increase the risk of mental disorders. We investigated the association between common mental disorders and stress factors at work among professors teaching in nine health courses at a private university in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The dependent variable was the presence of mental disorders, as measured by General Health Questionnaire 12. Stress factors at work were evaluated based on the Effort-Reward and Excessive Commitment model. The other variables were sociodemographic, occupational background, behavioral, and related to general health. The data were submitted to descriptive analyses, bivariate analyses, and Poisson regression. A total of 175 professors participated (80.0%), of whom 19.5% had mental disorders. These disorders were more prevalent among professors making the most effort at work (PR= 1.8, 95% CI= 1.01-3.46) and less prevalent among those with higher quality of life in their physical domain (PR= 0.95, 95% CI= 0.93 to 0.97). It can be concluded that there is a considerable prevalence of common mental disorders among university professors, which were higher among those who put more effort into their work and had lower quality of life in their physical domains.

Streptococcal glucosyltransferases (Gtf) synthesize α-glucan exopolymers which contribute to biofilm matrix. Streptococcus oralis interacts with the opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans to form hypervirulent biofilms. S. oralis 34 has a single gtf gene (gtfR). However, the role of gtfR in single and mixed species biofilms with C. albicans has never been examined. A gtfR deletion mutant, purified GtfR, and recombinant GtfR glucan-binding domain were tested in single and mixed biofilms on different substrata in vitro. A mouse oral infection model was also used. We found that in single species biofilms growing with sucrose on abiotic surfaces S. oralis gtfR increased biofilm matrix, but not bacterial biomass. In biofilms with C. albicans, S. oralis encoding gtfR showed increased bacterial biomass on all surfaces. C. albicans had a positive effect on α-glucan synthesis, and α-glucans increased C. albicans accretion on abiotic surfaces. In single and mixed infection of mice receiving sucrose S. oralis gtfR enhanced mucosal burdens. However, sucrose had a negative impact on C. albicans burdens and reduced S. oralis burdens in co-infected mice. Our data provide new insights on the GtfR-mediated interactions between the two organisms and the influence of biofilm substratum and the mucosal environment on these interactions.

Objective To evaluate the effect of titanium (Ti) particles and ions on oral biofilm growth and composition. Background Particles and ions of Ti released from dental implants can trigger unfavorable biological responses in human cells. However, their effect on oral biofilms composition has not been tested. Methods In this blind in situ study, volunteers wore a palatal appliance containing Ti disks for 7 days to allow biofilm formation. Disks were then collected and biofilms were treated, in vitro, with Ti particles (0.75% and 1%), ions (10 and 20 ppm), or a combination of both (1% particles + 20 ppm ions). Biofilms exposed only to medium was used as control group. After 24 hours, biofilms were collected and analyzed by checkerboard DNA‐DNA hybridization. Direct effects of Ti particles and ions on biofilm/cellular morphology were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results Ti particles affected biofilm composition, increasing population of four bacterial species (P < .05), while Ti ions showed higher levels of putative pathogens from the orange complex with reduction in species from the yellow complex (P < .05), compared with control. The combination of particles + ions increased green complex and reduced yellow complex proportions (P < .05). TEM showed clusters of particles agglomerated in extracellular environment, while Ti ions were precipitated in both extracellular and intracellular sites. Conclusions Ti products, especially Ti ions, have the potential to change the microbiological composition of biofilms formed on Ti surfaces. Therefore, the presence of Ti products around dental implants may contribute to microbial dysbiosis and peri‐implantitis.

Polymicrobial infections are one of the most common reasons for inflammation of surrounding tissues and failure of implanted biomaterials. Because microorganism adhesion is the first step for biofilm formation, physical–chemical modifications of biomaterials have been proposed to reduce the initial microbial attachment. Thus, the use of superhydrophobic coatings has emerged because of their anti-biofilm properties. However, these coatings on the titanium (Ti) surface have been developed mainly by dual-step surface modification techniques and have not been tested using polymicrobial biofilms. Therefore, we developed a one-step superhydrophobic coating on the Ti surface by using a low-pressure plasma technology to create a biocompatible coating that reduces polymicrobial biofilm adhesion and formation. The superhydrophobic coating on Ti was created by the glow discharge plasma using Ar, O2, and hexamethyldisiloxane gases, and after full physical, chemical, and biological characterizations, we evaluated its properties regarding oral biofilm inhibition. The newly developed coating presented an increased surface roughness and, consequently, superhydrophobicity (contact angle over 150°) and enhanced corrosion resistance (p < 0.05) of the Ti surface. Furthermore, proteomic analysis showed a unique pattern of protein adsorption on the superhydrophobic coating without drastically changing the biologic processes mediated by proteins. Additionally, superhydrophobic treatment did not present a cytotoxic effect on fibroblasts or reduction of proliferation; however, it significantly reduced (≈8-fold change) polymicrobial adhesion (bacterial and fungal) and biofilm formation in vitro. Interestingly, superhydrophobic coating shifted the microbiological profile of biofilms formed in situ in the oral cavity, reducing by up to ≈7 fold pathogens associated with the peri-implant disease. Thus, this new superhydrophobic coating developed by a one-step glow discharge plasma technique is a promising biocompatible strategy to drastically reduce microbial adhesion and biofilm formation on Ti-based biomedical implants.

Equity in the use of dental services provided by the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) among the elderly: a population-based study

The presence of untreated dental caries among Brazilian children was associated with an impact on specific daily activities (difficulty eating and sleeping) and the psychological domain of OHRQoL.