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.
Background: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) enterococci have become a major problem in recent times and have been reported increasingly around the world. Lytic phages infect bacteria leading to rapid host death with limited risk of phage transduction, underlining the increasing interest in potential phage therapy in the future. Objective (s): The aim of this study is to use phage therapy as alternative approach for treatment of Enterococcus faecalis infections that recorded as MDR in Iraq to tackle this problem. Materials and Methods: Thirty E. faecalis isolates were collected from patients with different infectious diseases such as urinary tract infection (UTI), diabetic foot, septicemia, and wound infections. The isolation of specific l
... Show MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the healthcare sector and the productivity of medical staff and doctors. This study employs machine learning to analyze the post-COVID-19 impact on the productivity of medical staff and doctors across various specialties. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 960 participants from different specialties between June 1, 2022, and April 5, 2023. The study collected demographic data, including age, gender, and socioeconomic status, as well as information on participants' sleeping habits and any COVID-19 complications they experienced. The findings indicate a significant decline in the productivity of medical staff and doctors, with an average reduction of 23% during the post-COVID-19 period. T
... Show MoreThere are many techniques that can be used to estimate the spray quality traits such as the spray coverage, droplet density, droplet count, and droplet diameter. One of the most common techniques is to use water sensitive papers (WSP) as a spray collector on field conditions and analyzing them using several software. However, possible merger of some droplets could occur after they deposit on WSP, and this could affect the accuracy of the results. In this research, image processing technique was used for better estimation of the spray traits, and to overcome the problem of droplet merger. The droplets were classified as non-merged and merged droplets based on their roundness, then the merged droplets were separated based on the average non-m
... Show MoreShumblan (SH) is one of the most undesirable aquatic plants widespread in the irrigation channels and water bodies. This work focuses on boosting the biogas potential of shumblan by co-digesting it with other types of wastes without employing any chemical or thermal pretreatments as done in previous studies. A maximum biogas recovery of 378 ml/g VS was reached using shumblan with cow manure as inoculum in a ratio of 1:1. The methane content of the biogas was 55%. Based on volatile solid (VS) and C/N ratios, biogas productions of 518, 434, and 580 ml/g VS were obtained when the shumblan was co-digested with food wastes (SH:F), paper wastes (SH:P), and green wastes (SH:G) respectively. No significant changes of methane contents were observ
... Show MoreThe rapid increase in the number of older people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia represents one of the major challenges to the health and social care systems. Early detection of AD makes it possible for patients to access appropriate services and to benefit from new treatments and therapies, as and when they become available. The onset of AD starts many years before the clinical symptoms become clear. A biomarker that can measure the brain changes in this period would be useful for early diagnosis of AD. Potentially, the electroencephalogram (EEG) can play a valuable role in early detection of AD. Damage in the brain due to AD leads to changes in the information processing activity of the brain and the EEG which ca
... Show MoreAlPO4 catalysts supported with WO3 were prepared by impregnating the catalysts with ammonium metatungstate. The catalysts were checked by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), AFM, and SEM; also, the catalysts analysis was done by X-Ray (EDX). Finally, the N2 adsorption-desorption was used to measure the pore volume and surface area of the catalyst. The prepared catalyst has a surface area of 185.83 m2/g, pore volume of 0.645 cm3/g at a calcination temperature of 500°C for 3 hrs, and particle size of AlPO4 with an average of 35.36 nm. Transesterification of edible oil using WO3/AlPO4 was performed, it was observed that WO3/AlPO4 catalysts give high conversion of edible oil, and this is attributed to the high surface area, smaller particle size, and the
... Show MoreThe study was reflection of the impact of the widespread use of polymer Novolak composite reinforced Glass fiber and Asbestos fiber once again with weight fraction 60% on the physical properties, which included (Hardness, Compressive deformation, compressive modulus of elasticity, Flexural modulus of elasticity, Resilience modulus, the maximum of Flexural strength, Flexural strain energy and Shear strength inner layers); it is known how much important the media as a source of bacterial contamination, which contributes directly or indirectly in the process of aging of these materials. These Novolak composite reinforced, prepared by weight fraction of (10%) and (14%) of the Hexamethylene-tetraamine (HMTA) hardener material. It
... Show MoreBackground: Poly-ether-ether-ketone(PEEK) has been introduced to many dental fields. Recently it was tested as a retainer wire‎ following orthodontic treatment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of changing the bonding spot size and location on the performance of PEEK retainer wires. Methods: A biomechanical study involving four three-dimensional finite element models was performed. The basic model was with a 0.8 mm cylindrical cross-section PEEK wire, bonded at the center of the lingual surface of the mandibular incisors with 4 mm in diameter composite spots. Two other models were designed with 3 mm and 5 mm composite sizes. The last model was created with the composite bonding spot of the canine away from the center of t
... Show MoreBackground: Poly-ether-ether-ketone(PEEK) has been introduced to many dental fields. Recently it was tested as a retainer wire‎ following orthodontic treatment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of changing the bonding spot size and location on the performance of PEEK retainer wires. Methods: A biomechanical study involving four three-dimensional finite element models was performed. The basic model was with a 0.8 mm cylindrical cross-section PEEK wire, bonded at the center of the lingual surface of the mandibular incisors with 4 mm in diameter composite spots. Two other models were designed with 3 mm and 5 mm composite sizes. The last model was created with the composite bonding spot of the canine away from the center
... Show MoreAbstract
The research aims to determine the nature of the Iraqi market in terms of banking financial stability and the extent impact of the operational efficiency on it, Accordingly, chosen 15 relational banks were chosen as an intentional sample that could represent the Iraqi banking system for the period 2010-2020. The operational efficiency variable was measured according to the data envelope model, and banking financial stability used CAMELS model which includes five indicators (capital adequacy, asset quality, management quality, profitability, and liquidity), so for testing the research hypotheses used the random regression model by adopting the S
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