Objectives To tailor composites of polyethylene–hydroxyapatite to function as a new intracanal post for the restoration of endodontically treated teeth (ETT). Methods Silanated hydroxyapatite (HA) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) filled low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composites were fabricated by a melt extrusion process and characterised using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The flexural strength and modulus were determined in dry state and post ageing in simulated body fluid and fractured surfaces analysed by SEM. The water uptake and radiographic appearance of the experimental composites were also measured and compared with a commercially known endodontic fibre post. Data were submitted to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey multiple comparison tests at a level of significance P < 0.05. Results The LDPE/HA composites were structurally flexible and the HA content had a significant effect on the flexural strength and modulus. A univariate analysis of variance showed no significant differences in modulus and strength (P < 0.05) post accelerated ageing in simulated body fluid with very low water uptake. The melting point of the LDPE/HA composites ranged between 135 and 136 °C, which would facilitate removal in case of retreatment using conventional dental heating devices. The inclusion of HA reduced the damping thereby enhancing dimensional stability, whilst the addition of zirconia yielded a semi-translucent material that was sufficiently radiopaque, comparable to commercial posts, thus yielding aesthetic materials. Conclusions Innovative materials for restoration of ETT were developed; offering considerable benefits over the currently available material in terms of biomechanical and thermal properties. Clinical significance This study provided a new option for the development of a new intracanal post made up of functional and aesthetic composites.
The activation and reaction energies of the C-C and C-H bonds cleavage in pyrene molecule are calculated applying the Density Functional Theory and 6-311G Gaussian basis. Different values for the energies result for the different bonds, depending on the location of the bond and the structure of the corresponding transition states. The C-C bond cleavage reactions include H atom migration, in many cases, leading to the formation of CH2 groups and H-C≡C- acetylenic fragments. The activation energy values of the C-C reactions are greater than 190.00 kcal/mol for all bonds, those for the C-H bonds are greater than 160.00 kcal/mol. The reaction energy values for the C-C bonds range between 56.497 to 191.503 kcal/mol. As for the C-H cleavage rea
... Show MoreThe electronic characteristics, including the density of state and bond length, in addition to the spectroscopic properties such as IR spectrum and Raman scattering, as a function of the frequency of Sn10O16, C24O6, and hybrid junction (Sn10O16/C24O6) were studied. The methodology uses DFT for all electron levels with the hybrid function B3-LYP (Becke level, 3-parameters, Lee–Yang-Parr), with 6-311G (p,d) basis set, and Stuttgart/Dresden (SDD) basis set, using Gaussian 09 theoretical calculations. The geometrical structures were calculated by Gaussian view 05 as a supplementary program. The band gap was calculated and compared to the measured valu
... Show MoreCyber security is a term utilized for describing a collection of technologies, procedures, and practices that try protecting an online environment of a user or an organization. For medical images among most important and delicate data kinds in computer systems, the medical reasons require that all patient data, including images, be encrypted before being transferred over computer networks by healthcare companies. This paper presents a new direction of the encryption method research by encrypting the image based on the domain of the feature extracted to generate a key for the encryption process. The encryption process is started by applying edges detection. After dividing the bits of the edge image into (3×3) windows, the diffusions
... Show MoreThe most prevalent chronic complication of diabetes mellitus is diabetic neuropathy. The pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy is exacerbated by hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress, which causes nerves to deteriorate in a programmed manner. Many clinical trials depend on supplement in an attempt to improve neuropathy symptoms such as (pain & tingling) and patient quality of life, one of them is Coenzyme Q10 which is reported to have an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and was totally nontoxic and non-reported side effects. This study aimed to evaluate using a Coenzyme Q10 supplement as an adjuvant therapy to gabapentin to improve the clinical symptoms of diabetic neuropathy in relation to its anti-inflammatory and antioxid
... Show MoreWith the increasing integration of computers and smartphones into our daily lives, in addition to the numerous benefits it offers over traditional paper-based methods of conducting affairs, it has become necessary to incorporate one of the most essential facilities into this integration; namely: colleges. The traditional approach for conducting affairs in colleges is mostly paper-based, which only increases time and workload and is relatively decentralized. This project provides educational and management services for the university environment, targeting the staff, the student body, and the lecturers, on two of the most used platforms: smartphones and reliable web applications by clo