Based on the geographical distribution of the unearthed musical instruments and their archaeo-cultural considerations, I first examine musical cultures of the Shang and Zhou dynasties in the seven-regions of Central Plain, Northwest, North, East, Southwest, South, and Southeast, each of which showed affinity to some particular political unit (state), ethnicity and social organization of the archaeological culture. Through regional and cross-regional analysis of the shape, composite and musical features of the instruments and their contemporary cultural significance, I argue that the Shang and Zhou musical cultures were primarily originated and developed in multiple cultural contexts along the Yellow River and Yangtse River areas. Among the seven regions, the Central Plain region occupied a dominant position. The other regions of musical culture developed independently but maintained close cultural interaction with the Central Plain region. / Lastly, I discuss the ritual-music function of the instruments in the formation of ritual-music system, the condition of the owners and players of the instruments, and the compositive set of ritual bronze vessels and instruments. I conclude that the social function of musical instruments in the Shang and Zhou dynasties had actually gone beyond music performance itself. They had functions of performing music, executing sacrifice, and symbolizing the socio-political status and ranks of individuals. / This dissertation is an archaeo-musicological study on unearthed musical instruments of the Shang (1600 B.C.--1046 B.C.) and Western Zhou (1046 B.C.--771 B.C.) dynasties in China. Using the unearthed musical instruments in conjunction with other related archaeological findings and ancient Chinese documents, I discuss issues relating to the multi-structure and social function of these instruments within their socio-historical contexts. / Using the textual information from oracle bone inscriptions, bronze inscriptions, and Chinese classical texts, I explore the functions of the unearthed musical instruments in terms of sacrificial activities and the Liyue (ritual-music) system. I identify four types of excavation (dwellings, sacrificial pits, hoards, and tombs) to elucidate the relationship between sacrificial activities and musical instruments. I then discuss the metaphor of the instruments' decorations and the use of instruments in the ritual activities such as praying for rain and ancestral cult. / 方建軍. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2005. / 參考文獻(p. 277-316). / Adviser: Tsao Poon Yee. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: A, page: 2380. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in English. / School code: 1307. / Lun wen (Zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2005. / Can kao wen xian (p. 277-316). / Fang Jianjun.

Avec pour cas d’étude les sites Natura 2000 du littoral français, cette thèse cherche à améliorer la compréhension des pratiques en matière de mesures locales de conservation de la biodiversité, analysées au travers du concept d’instruments d’action publique : quels sont les instruments choisis, à la fois dans la phase de planification et de mise en oeuvre ? Quels sont les facteurs influençant ces choix ? Une première analyse, quantitative, permet de décrire les mesures prévues dans 113 documents de gestion (Docob) de sites Natura 2000 littoraux. Une méthode de sélection et de moyenne de modèles logistiques binomiaux permet d’identifier les facteurs de contexte orientant les choix des instruments d’action. Une seconde analyse, qualitative, recentrée sur les sites Natura 2000 du littoral breton, permet d’appréhender les modalités de mise en oeuvre des différents instruments disponibles dans la gestion des sites. Nos résultats tendent à montrer que le choix des instruments d’action sur chaque site fait partie des ajustements permettant l’intégration de la politique au sein d’un contexte institutionnel local, formel et informel. En particulier, l’instrument réglementaire semble garder une place non négligeable dans la mise en oeuvre de cette politique, mais cette place est sensible au contexte local, notamment politique. Les instruments propres à certains grands types de milieux sont mis en avant. Nos résultats viennent questionner le caractère autonome de la politique Natura 2000 en mer. Ils permettent également d’éclairer les forces et les faiblesses des différents instruments d’actions dans la phase de mise en oeuvre, notamment au regard des coûts de transaction qu’ils génèrent. Face aux difficultés identifiées, l’importance de la complémentarité opérationnelle des instruments d’essences volontaire et obligatoire, de l’implication des collectivités territoriales et de la mobilisation des animateurs Natura 2000 présents sur chaque site, est soulignée. / Taking the Natura 2000 sites on the French coastal area as a case study, this work aims at strengthening the understanding of the practices in terms of local biodiversity conservation measures, analysed through the concept of public policy instruments : what are the instruments that are chosen, during both the planning and implementation phases? What are the factors influencing these choices? Our work combines two approaches. First, a quantitative analysis allows us to describe the measures that are provided in 113 management documents (Docobs) of coastal Natura 2000 sites. Through a method to select and average binomial logistic models, we identify contextual factors that influence the choice of instruments of action. Second, a qualitative analysis focuses on the coastal Natura 2000 sites in Brittany and paves the way to a better understanding of the implementation of the different instruments available for the management of the sites. Our results tend to show that the choices of instruments of action on each site are parts of the adjustments allowing the integration of the policy into a formal and informal institutional local context. In particular, the regulatory instrument seems to play a significant role in the implementation of this policy, but this role is sensitive to the local context of the site, especially the political context. We emphasize the association of some instruments to different types of ecosystems. Our results lead to question the autonomous nature of the Natura 2000 policy for the marine area. Our results also highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the different instruments of action in the implementation phase, especially with regards to the associated transaction costs. In the face of the constraints that we identify, we stress the importance of the operational complementarity of voluntary and regulatory instruments, of the commitment of local authorities and of the leading role of the Natura 2000 site managers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanical properties of engine-driven Nickel-Titanium instruments manufactured by different thermal treatments. In the first part of this study, 60 reciprocating instruments were used (n=20): Reciproc R25 (REC 25.08), Unicone L25 (UNC 25.06) e Prodesign R 25 (PDR 25.06). The cyclic flexural fatigue resistance was performed measuring the time to failure in an artificial stainless steel canal with a 60º angle and a 5 mm radius of curvature (n=10). The torsional test was performed according to ISO 3630-1, measuring the torque and angle of rotation at failure in the 3 mm from the tip portion (n=10). Additionally, the fractured surface of each instrument was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assess the topographic features of the fractured surface. Data were analyzed using one was analysis of variance ANOVA and Tukey test, the level of significance was set at 5%. The results of the cyclic flexural fatigue showed that PDR 25.06 presented significantly higher values than the other groups (P<0.05). REC 25.08 showed higher fatigue resistance than UNC 25.06 (P<0.05). In relation to the torsional test, the PDR 25.06 presented the lowest torque load than REC 25.08 and UNC 25.06 (P<0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference between REC 25.08 and UNC 25.06 (P>0.05). The PDR 25.06 and UNC 25.06 showed higher angular rotation until fracture than REC 25.08 (P<0.05). No difference was found between PDR 25.06 and UNC 25.06. All the instruments showed typical topographic features of cyclic flexural and torsional fatigue. The second part of this study evaluated the cyclic flexural and torsional fatigue resistance of reciprocating instruments Reciproc Blue (RB 25.08), WaveOne Gold Primary (WOG 25.07) and Prodesign R 25 (PDR 25.06) (n=20). The cyclic flexural fatigue test was performed with the same previsoly described device, using a root curvature with 60º and a 5 mm radius (n=10) and the torsional test was performed according to ISO 3630-1 (n=10). The fractured surface of each instrument was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data were analyzed using one was analysis of variance ANOVA and Tukey test, the level of significance was set at 5%. The results of the cyclic flexural fatigue test showed that PDR 25.06 presented significantly higher values than the other groups (P<0.05). RB 25.08 showed higher fatigue resistance than WOG 25.07 (P<0.05). The torsional test showed that PDR 25.06 had lowed torsional load (P<0.05). No difference was found between RB 25.08 and WOG 25.07 (P>0.05). In relation the angular rotation, the PDR 25.06 showed higher angular rotation values than RB 25.08 and WOG 25.07 (P<0.05). RB 25.08 presented higher angular values than WOG 25.07 (P<0.05). All the instruments showed typical topographic features of cyclic flexural and torsional fatigue. The third part of this study was to evaluate the torsional fatigue resistance of NiTi rotary glide path instruments. The torsional test was performed according to ISO 3630-1, measuring the torque and angle of rotation at failure in the 3 mm from the tip portion. A total of 56 glide path instruments were used (n=8): Logic 25.01 (LOG 25.01), Logic CM 25.01(LOG CM 25.01), Proglider 16.02 (PGD 16.02), Hyflex GPF 15.01, 15.02, 20.02 (HGPF) and Mtwo 10.04. The fractured surface of each instrument was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Data were analyzed using one was analysis of variance ANOVA and Tukey test, the level of significance was set at 5%. The results showed that LOG 25.01 had a significantly higher torsional load than the other groups (P<0.05). The PGD 16.02 had significantly difference in comparison with HGPF 15.01 and 15.02 (P<0.05). LOG CM 25.01 had higher torsional load than HGPF 15.01 and 15.02 (P<0.05). No difference was found among Mtwo 10.04, HGPG 15.01, 15.02 and 20.02. In relation the angular rotation, LOG CM 25.01 and HGPF 15.01 presented the highest values (P<0.05). PGD 16.02 had the lowest values (P<0.05) followed by Mtwo 10.04. LOG 25.01 had higher angle of rotation than PGD 16.02 and Mtwo 10.04 (P<0.05). All the instruments showed typical topographic features of torsional fatigue. / O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o comportamento mecânico de instrumentos mecanizados de Níquel-Titânio (NiTi) fabricados com diferentes tratamentos térmicos. Na primeira parte do estudo foram utilizados 60 instrumentos reciprocantes para a realização dos teste de fadiga cíclica flexural e torcional (n=20): Reciproc R25 (REC 25.08), Unicone L25 (UNC 25.06) e Prodesign R 25 (PDR 25.06). O teste de fadiga cíclica flexural foi realizado com o objetivo de mensurar o tempo para a fratura dos instrumentos em um canal artificial de aço inoxidável com curvatura com 60º de angulação e 5 mm de raio (n=10). Para o teste de torção, os 3 mm inicias das pontas dos instrumentos foram fixadas em um aparelho de torção (n=10), de acordo com a norma ISO 3630-1. Este teste foi realizado com o objetivo de mensurar o torque máximo e o ângulo de rotação suportado pelos instrumentos até sua fratura. Adicionalmente, todos os fragmentos dos instrumentos fraturados foram examinados em microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) para avaliar as características topográficas da superfície da área da fratura. A análise-estatística foi realizada utilizando o teste de análise de variância com um fator ANOVA e teste de Tukey, o nível de significância foi de 5%. Os resultados de fadiga cíclica flexural demonstraram que o PDR 25.06 apresentou maior tempo para a fratura do que os outros grupos (P<0.05). O instrumento REC 25.08 apresentou maior resistência a fadiga cíclica flexural do que o UNC 25.06 (P<0.05). O teste de torção demonstrou que o PDR 25.06 apresentou significantemente menor resistência torcional do que o REC 25.08 e UNC 25.06 (P<0.05). Além disso, não houve diferença entre REC 25.08 e UNC 25.06. Com relação ao ângulo de rotação, o PDR 25.06 e UNC 25.06 apresentaram diferença significante quando comparado ao REC 25.08. Não houve diferença entre PDR 25.06 e UNC 25.06 (P>0.05). Todos os instrumentos apresentaram característica topográficas típicas de fadiga cíclica flexural e torcional. Na segunda parte deste estudo avaliou-se a fadiga cíclica flexural e torcional dos instrumentos reciprocantes Reciproc Blue R25 (RB 25.08), WaveOne Gold Primary (WOG 25.07) e Prodesign R 25 (PDR 25.06) (n=20). O teste de fadiga cíclica flexural foi realizado com dispositivo descrito anteriormente, utilizando curvaturas de 60º e 5 mm de raio (n=10). O teste de torção foi realizado de acordo com a norma ISO 3630-1 (n=10). Todos os fragmentos dos instrumentos fraturados foram examinados em microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) para avaliar as características topográficas da superfície da área da fratura. A análise-estatística foi realizada utilizando o teste de análise de variância com um fator (ANOVA) e teste de Tukey, o nível de significância foi de 5%. Os resultados de fadiga cíclica flexural demonstraram que o PDR 25.06 apresentou a maior resistência a fadiga cíclica flexural do que dos outros grupos (P<0.05). O RB 25.08 apresentou maior tempo para à fratura do que o WOG 25.07 (P<0.05). O teste de torção, o PDR 25.06 apresentou a menor resistência à torção do que os outros grupos (P<0.05). Não houve diferença significante entre RB 25.08 e WOG 25.07 (P>0.05). Em relação ao ângulo de rotação, o PDR 25.06 apresentou maiores valores quando comparados com RB 25.08 e WOG 25.07. O RB 25.08 apresentou diferença significante quando comparado com WOG 25.07. Todos os instrumentos apresentaram características topográficas típicas de fadiga cíclica flexural e torcional. Na terceira parte deste estudo avaliou-se a resistência torcional de instrumentos empregados para patência do canal radicular, de acordo com a norma ISO 3630-1. Foram utilizados 56 instrumentos rotatórios (n=8): Logic 25.01 (LOG 25.01), Logic CM 25.01 (LOG CM 25.01), Proglider 16.02 (PGD 16.02), Hyflex GPF 15.01, 15.02, 20.02 (HGPF) e Mtwo 10.04. Os fragmentos dos instrumentos fraturados foram examinados em microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) para avaliar as características topográficas da superfície da área da fratura. A análise-estatística foi realizada utilizando o teste de análise de variância com um fator ANOVA e teste de Tukey, o nível de significância foi de 5%. Os resultados demonstraram que o LOG 25.01 apresentou significantemente maior resistência torcional do que os demais grupos (P<0.05). O grupo da PGD 16.02 apresentou diferença significante quando comparado com HGPF 15.01 e 15.02 (P<0.05). O LOG CM 25.01 apresentou maior resistência torcional do que o grupo do HGPF 15.01 e 15.02 (P<0.05). Não houve diferença significante entre os intrumentos Mtwo 10.04 e HGPF 15.01, 15.02 e 20.02. Com relação ao ângulo de rotação, o LOG CM 25.01 e HGPF 15.01 apresentaram os maiores valores (P<0.05). O PGD 16.02 apresentou o menor valor de todos os grupos (P<0.05) seguido pelo Mtwo 10.04. O LOG 25.01 apresentou maiores ângulos de rotação do que o PGD 16.02 e Mtwo 10.04 (P<0.05). Todos os instrumentos apresentaram característica topográficas típicas de fadiga torcional. As características da secção transversal, tipo de núcleo, taper e o tratamento térmico possuem forte influência sobre as propriedades mecânicas dos instrumentos de NiTi. No entanto, o tratamento térmico é um dos fatores primordiais para maior flexibilidade dos instrumentos. O instrumento PDR 25.06 apresentou maior resistência à fadiga cíclica flexural e maior ângulo de rotação no teste de torção do que todos os outros instrumentos reciprocantes avaliados. No entanto, menor resistência torcional. Os intrumentos LOG 25.01 apresentaram maior resistência torcional e o LOG CM 25.01 maiores ângulos de rotação.

Woody biomass transportation costs and market values/costs are strongly correlated with the woody biomass moisture content. Properly managing moisture content can potentially lead to economic and environmental advantages in biomass energy markets. Good management requires accurate moisture content measurements. Therefore, availability of accurate, precise, reliable, and efficient tools to assess woody biomass moisture content is essential. In this study, six different tools (Fibre-Gen HM200, IML Hammer, Humimeter BLW, Timbermaster, Humimeter HM1 and Wile Bio Meter) were evaluated. The six tools employed three different measurement technologies; acoustic, conductance, and capacitance. Woody biomass samples were collected over one season (summer 2011) at three different locations in western Oregon (Corvallis, Dallas, and Clatskanie) for three softwood species and three hardwood species: Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa L.), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), hybrid poplar (Populus spp.), Madrone (Arbutus spp.), and Garryana Oak (Quercus garryana Dougl. ex Hook). Twenty 3-meter long log (20 to 400mm diameter) specimens were collected per species; 18 specimens were divided into two different treatments (open vs. covered), and the two remaining specimens were chipped. In addition, approximately 100 kilograms per species of hogfuel (limbs and tops) were collected and chipped. Moisture content measurements of logs, chips, and hogfuel were made regularly over a four month period. These data was used to develop multiple linear regression models for assessing the moisture content of the six species using the six tools. The major factors considered in the regression models were species (6), treatment (2), and tools (6). The data were also used to estimate the sample size needed for each tool. The best tool from each technology type was identified. The results generated from this study show that (1) none of the tools are accurate without calibration for different species, (2) the best model/tool combination could only explain about 80% of the variability in measurements, (3) further product development is required in some cases to ensure that the tools are robust for industrial application, and (4) there is a wide range in efficiency of the tools (i.e., 50 minute tool efficiency range). The Fibre-Gen HM200 and Wile Bio Meter were the most accurate, precise and efficient tools tested. The cost of transporting woody biomass from the forest to woody biomass plants is "optimized" when the moisture content drops to approximately 30% (wet basis). Validation of the models developed for three of the tools tested (Fibre-Gen HM200, Humimeter BLW and the Wile Bio Meter) indicates that the tools are accurate below 35% MC (wet basis). This suggests they could be used for making threshold transportation decisions, i.e., determining when to haul. / Graduation date: 2013

This thesis concerns with the recognition of music instruments from isolated notes. Music instrument recognition is a relatively nascent problem fast gaining importance not only because of the academic value the problem provides, but also for the potential it has in being able to realize applications like music content analysis, music transcription etc. Line spectral frequencies are proposed as features for music instrument recognition and shown to perform better than Mel filtered cepstral coefficients and linear prediction cepstral coefficients. Assuming a linear model of sound production, features based on the prediction residual, which represents the excitation signal, is proposed. Four improvements are proposed for classification using Gaussian mixture model (GMM) based classifiers. One of them involves characterizing the regions of overlap between classes in the feature space to improve classification. Applications to music instrument recognition and speaker recognition are shown. An experiment is proposed for discovering the hierarchy in music instrument in a data-driven manner. The hierarchy thus discovered closely corresponds to the hierarchy defined by musicians and experts and therefore shows that the feature space has successfully captured the required features for music instrument characterization.

Les mesures de contrôle de la contamination croisée sont principalement concentrées dans la salle opératoire dentaire alors que les articles transférés entre la clinique et le laboratoire dentaire et les instruments de laboratoire ont reçu peu d’attention. Cette étude vise à documenter l’application des mesures d’asepsie sur ces articles par les professionnels du domaine dentaire ainsi que leurs perceptions entourant ces mesures. Un questionnaire autoadministré et anonyme a été envoyé à un échantillon aléatoire des dentistes, denturologistes et directeurs de laboratoire dentaire qui étaient inscrits aux listes des ordres professionnels en juin 2008 dans la province de Québec. Des 1100 questionnaires envoyés, 376 ont été retournés remplis. Presque trois quarts (72,1 %) des répondants affirment faire l’asepsie des instruments de laboratoire et 74,9 %, la désinfection des articles transférés mais avec des pourcentages variables selon le groupe d’articles (empreintes, prothèses, etc.). Seulement 9,1 % de professionnels identifient de façon générale les articles désinfectés avant l’envoi. Plus de la moitié des professionnels (51,4 %) trouvent qu’ils n’ont pas assez d’information sur l’asepsie des articles transférés et 62,4 %, qu’elle est difficile à appliquer. Cette étude est la première réalisée auprès des trois groupes de professionnels et la première à étudier leurs perceptions entourant l’asepsie des articles transférés et de l’instrumentation de laboratoire. Nous avons démontré que l’application des mesures d’asepsie à ces articles par les professionnels du domaine dentaire n’est pas toujours conforme aux normes proposées et qu’il existe un besoin de renforcer leur application, surtout en ce qui a trait aux articles transférés. / Infection control practices have been mainly concentrated in the dental operatory whereas the articles transferred between the dental clinic and the dental laboratory as well as laboratory instruments have received less attention. This study attempts to document the practices of dental care professional implicated in the fabrication of dental prosthesis as to the asepsis of these items as well as their perceptions towards it. In June 2008 an auto-administrated and anonymous questionnaire was sent to a random sample of dentists, denturologists and dental laboratory directors licensed to practice in the province of Quebec (Canada). From the 1,100 questionnaires sent, 376 were returned filled-in. Almost two thirds of responders (72.1%) claim to disinfect or sterilize laboratory instruments and 74.9% to disinfect transferred articles, with percentages varying according to the group of articles (impressions, prosthesis, etc.). However, only 9.1% regularly identify disinfected work. More than half of the responders (51.4%) think it is difficult to apply a form of asepsis on transferred articles and 62.4% believe there is a lack of information towards it. This study is the first to have been addressed simultaneously to the three groups of professionals and the first to question them on their perceptions. It demonstrated that the application of asepsis measures to transferred articles and laboratory instruments by dental care professionals is not always complying with existing recommendations. There is a need to reinforce their application, especially of asepsis measures on transferred articles.

The use of medical devices and drugs is constantly increasing in the United States. New techniques are developed, pharmaceutical companies manufactured thousands drugs and medical devices each year, these products are put on the market immediately; therefore, the consequences can be terrible. / In the US, thousands even millions of people suffer from personal injuries because they use a defective medical product; this is referred as a mass tort. The class action procedure is often used in order to repair these personal injuries. Plaintiffs always ask for the use of this procedure, but the federal American courts always refuse the certification of the class because the conditions of Rule 23(b)(3) are not fulfilled. This is what is called "the new trend of American courts". / The non application of the class action procedure leads to terrible results; victims of a defective medical product cannot receive compensation for the injury they are suffering from. These victims choose the class action procedure because of its advantages, if the class action is not certified they won't sue individually. If the real problem was the non respect of Rule 23(b)(3)'s conditions, a modification or a reform of the Rule would have been done. Unfortunately the laxity of the federal judges tends to influence the American Congress who ignores the need for a reform of this rule. This makes us wonder what the real justifications motivating this refusal of certification are.

(M.A. (Bybelse Argeologie))

Submitted by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-06-11T11:47:52Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Ana Paula Pedroso Brito - 2015.pdf: 1014799 bytes, checksum: e2dcf8a46ffc5134b0215684a6190af3 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2018-06-11T11:50:48Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Ana Paula Pedroso Brito - 2015.pdf: 1014799 bytes, checksum: e2dcf8a46ffc5134b0215684a6190af3 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-11T11:50:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Ana Paula Pedroso Brito - 2015.pdf: 1014799 bytes, checksum: e2dcf8a46ffc5134b0215684a6190af3 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Purpose: to determine flute-to-shank ratio of rotatory nickel-titanium instruments Mtwo® #30/.05, ProTaper® #30/.09, Wizard Navigator® #30/.06 and BioRace® 35/.04. Material and methods: Instruments’ diameter were measured with a digital caliper in the first five flutes and abraded longitudinally by a diamond disk until instrument half diameter was achieved in flutes region. The samples were then fixed in stubs and SEM images were performed at 60X magnification. The flutes and shanks areas were measured, and flute-toshank ratio was achieved using software AxioVision®. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and Tukey’s Test for comparison between groups. Results: There was significant statistical difference for flutes areas. Mtwo® #30/.05 had the higher shank areas and was significantly different from the other instruments, except for Wizard Navigator #30/.06 ate the second flute site. Flute-to-shank ratio showed a 3-28% variation. Conclusions: Flutes dimensions were lower than shanks’. Wizard Navigator® #30/.05 had lower flute-to-shank ratio than other files. / Objetivo: Relacionar a aresta lateral de corte e o núcleo de instrumentos endodônticos de níquel-titânio de rotação contínua Mtwo® #30/.05, ProTaper® #30/.09, Wizard Navigator® #30/.06 e BioRace® 35/.04. Material e métodos: Os instrumentos foram medidos com paquímetro digital para aferição do seu diâmetro nas cinco primeiras arestas de corte e desgastados longitudinalmente com disco diamantado flexível dupla face até atingir metade do diâmetro do instrumento nas regiões das arestas laterais de corte. A seguir, as amostras foram fixadas em stubs e obtidas as imagens por microscopia eletrônica de varredura com aumento de 60X. Foram realizadas mensurações das áreas da aresta lateral de corte e do núcleo, e a razão entre estas medidas utilizando o software AxioVision®. A análise estatística foi realizada por meio da ANOVA e do Teste de Tukey para comparação entre os grupos. Resultados: Houve diferença significativa entre as áreas das arestas para todos os instrumentos. O instrumento Mtwo® #30/.05 apresentou as maiores áreas do núcleo, com diferença significativa para todos os demais instrumentos, à exceção do Wizard Navigator® #30/.06 na região da segunda aresta. A relação entre a área da aresta de corte e do respectivo núcleo mostrou que a aresta representou áreas que variaram de 3% a 28% do núcleo. Conclusões: As dimensões da aresta lateral de corte foram inferiores às do núcleo em todos os instrumentos. O Wizard Navigator® #30/.06 apresentou uma relação entre as dimensões da aresta em relação ao núcleo inferiores aos demais

No preparo dos canais radiculares, eminentemente os curvos, a abordagem cérvico-apical amplamente difundida promovendo a dilatação da região cervical do canal radicular previamente à atuação de instrumentos em sua região apical constitui técnica e inegavelmente uma forma adequada, tanto do ponto de vista mecânico como microbiológico, de interagir com o espaço endodôntico em busca de uma experiência bem sucedida e previsível. De outra forma, os mais recentes instrumentos endodônticos, muito mais flexíveis em decorrência das novas ligas de baixo módulo de elasticidade empregadas em sua fabricação e dotados de novos índices de conicidade, surgem melhorando tais perspectivas. Desde o surgimento da liga de Níquel-Titânio na Endodontia, na década de oitenta, uma gama imensa de instrumentos desta derivados e para serem empregados com dispositivos mecânicos, eletromecânicos ou pneumocânicos, têm reavivado a esperança de se obter um dispositivo ideal que simulando a cinemática manual supere as limitações operacionais decorrentes, principalmente, da configuração anatômica do canal radicular. Assim, neste experimento verificou-se o desempenho de quatro diferentes recursos técnicos no desgaste da região cervical do canal radicular. Constituíram-se quatro amostras, cada qual composta de 10 espécimes (raízes mésio-vestibulares de primeiros molares superiores), para serem preparadas com (i) Brocas Gates-Glidden, (ii) Brocas Largo-Peeso, (iii) ProFile® .04/.06 & Orifice Shapers e (iv) Pow-R Coronal Shapers. Imagens digitais obtidas antes e após o preparo do canal radicular foram analisadas também digitalmente estudo morfométrico computadorizado avaliando-se a variação das áreas das mesmas em função do desgaste promovido pelos referidos instrumentos. Todos os instrumentos produziram desgaste de ambas as paredes, mesial e distal, do canal radicular na região analisada. A análise estatística das variações de área para o fator parede mesial não mostrou diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os grupos experimentais para =5%. No entanto quando da comparação dos grupos experimentais para o fator parede distal verificou-se diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os grupos #1 e #3 para =5%. Ainda, para o fator área total (paredes mesial e distal) verificou-se diferenças estatisticamente signifcantes entre os grupos #3 e #4 para =5%. Concluiu-se que todos os instrumentos testados produzem desgaste tanto da parede mesial como da parede distal do canal radicular e, conseqüentemente, da estrutura dentinária global da região cervical do canal radicular. Por outro lado verificou-se uma tendência da Broca Gates-Glidden em promover maior desgaste da parede distal que o Sistema ProFile® .04/.06 & Orifice Shapers e do Sistema Pow-R Coronal Shapers em promover maior desgaste da estrutura toal que o Sistema ProFile® .04/.06 & Orifice Shapers. / Nowadays is common sense among endodontists that in root canal preparation, mainly the curved ones, the crown-down approach enlarging the cervical third prior instrumentation of the apical third regions provides better interaction between the instrument and the canal walls than the conventional methods. Technically it provides an adequate form to achieve the best and predictable results in cleaning and shaping the root canal system. Additionally the most recent nickel-titanium made endodontic instruments more flexible than the stainless steel instruments and the new taper design have been appeared to improve the endodontic panorama. Since the introduction of the nickel-titanium alloy in Endodontics by Walia et al. in 1988 a number of instruments produced by such alloy in conjunction with the engines new generation have brought new perspectives to deal tridimensionally with the still challenger endodontic space. In this study the performance of four different instruments in the root canal cervical third enlargement was evaluated. Four experimental groups comprised by ten upper molars mesiobuccal roots each were prepared by either (i) Gates bur, (ii) Largo bur, (iii) Profile® .04/.06 & Orifice Shapers or (iv) Pow-R Coronal Shapers. Before and after preparation digitally acquired images were evaluated for area changes within both mesial and distal root canal walls. All instruments produced some amount of wear in both walls and the distals have changed more than the mesials in most times probably due an excentric performance of all evaluated instruments. Comparison of root canal walls wearing among the four experimental groups showed no statistically significant differences (=5%) for mesial wall. However, statistically analyze (=5%) showed significant differences between Experimental Group #1 (Gates-Glidden burs) and Experimental Group #3 (Profile® .04/.06 & Orifice Shapers) for distal walls with the first showing greater wearing than the latter. Also, the results showed statistically significant differences between Experimental Group #4 (Pow-R & Coronal Shapers) and Experimental Group #3 (Profile® & Orifice Shapers) for the entire structure i.e. mesial and distal walls with the first showing the greater than the latter wearing . It was concluded that all tested instruments wear so the mesial as the distal root canal walls. Experimental results have showed that in first upper molaras mesiobuccal roots Gates-Glidden bur for distals and Pow-R nickel-titanium instruments for both walls, i.e. the cervical dentin entire structure, are supposed to wear more root canal cervical third dentin than the others instruments which they were compared.