Aim To develop a low-density polyethylene–hydroxyapatite (HA-PE) composite with properties tailored to function as a potential root canal filling material. Methodology Hydroxyapatite and polyethylene mixed with strontium oxide as a radiopacifier were extruded from a single screw extruder fitted with an appropriate die to form fibres. The composition of the composite was optimized with clinical handling and placement in the canal being the prime consideration. The fibres were characterized using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and their thermal properties determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The tensile strength and elastic modulus of the composite fibres and gutta-percha were compared, dry and after 1 month storage in simulated body fluid (SBF), using a universal testing machine. The radiopacity of the fibres was determined using digital radiography. The interaction of the composites with eugenol was evaluated and compared with gutta-percha. Data of the tensile test were submitted to two-way anova and Bonferroni tests (P < 0.05). Results The endothermic peaks obtained from the DSC studies showed that the melting point of the HA/PE composites ranged between 110.5 and 111.2 °C, whereas gutta-percha exhibited a melting point at 52 °C. The tensile strength and elastic modulus of the silanated HA/PE composites were significantly higher than those of gutta-percha (P < 0.0001) under dry conditions and 1 month storage in SBF. The gutta-percha in eugenol showed a significant increase in the polymer molar mass, whereas the silanated HA/PE composites were unchanged. Radiological evaluations demonstrated that silanated HA/PE fibres were sufficiently radiopaque. Conclusion Promising materials for endodontic applications have been developed, offering relevant benefits over the traditional materials in terms of mechanical and chemical properties
Experimental investigations had been done in this study to demonstrate the effect of natural particles used as a reinforcement material to unsaturated polyester resin. The tensile test and water absorption were investigated according to (ASTM D638) and (ASTM D570), respectively. The influence of sunflower husk and pomegranate husk particles, used as a reinforcement material, on the tensile strength, Young's modulus and water absorption with different weight fraction (3%, 7% and 10%) and particle grain size (50µm, 100 µm and 150 µm), has been investigated. The water absorption of polymer composites was studied by measuring the specimen weight before and after immersion in water for one hundred days. In the experiments of tensile test,
... Show MoreIn this study, the antimicrobial properties of newly synthesized Schiff bases (4a-4e) and thiazolidinone compounds (5a-5e) generated from 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid were assessed. These compounds were obtained by reacting 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (1) with ethanol in a few drops of concentrated H2SO4 to produce the ester (2). The acid hydrazide (3), which was produced by treating the ester with hydrazine hydrate, reacted with the proper aldehydes, including 4-bromobenzaldehyde, 4-chlorobenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, respectively, to form Schiff bases (4a-4e). The thiazolidinone compounds (5a-5e) were produced by the cyclocondensation reaction of compounds (4a-4e) with thio
... Show MoreIn this study, the antimicrobial properties of newly synthesized Schiff bases (4a-4e) and thiazolidinone compounds (5a-5e) generated from 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid were assessed. These compounds were obtained by reacting 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (1) with ethanol in a few drops of concentrated H2SO4 to produce the ester (2). The acid hydrazide (3), which was produced by treating the ester with hydrazine hydrate, reacted with the proper aldehydes, including 4-bromobenzaldehyde, 4-chlorobenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, respectively, to form Schiff bases (4a-4e). The thiazolidinone compounds (5a-5e) were produced by the cyclocondensation reaction of compounds (4a-4e) with thio
... Show MoreSustainable energy has become a critical focus due to the environmental and economic limitations of traditional fossil fuels. One of the most prominent applications in this field is electric vehicles (EVs), which rely on high-voltage DC battery packs (typically 400V or 800V) as their primary energy source. These batteries supply power to AC motors via inverters that convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). Additionally, EVs incorporate DC-DC converter systems to step down the high-voltage DC for auxiliary systems such as infotainment units, control modules, and lighting. The step-down DC-DC converter is composed of various components, including switches (such as MOSFETs or IGBTs) and diodes. These components are subj
... Show MoreThe coagulation and flocculation process using coated magnetic nanoparticles is considered one of the effective technologies for turbidity removal. This study investigates an application of magnetic nanoparticles coated with citric acid in the coagulation and flocculation process on Tigris River water in Baghdad, Iraq. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP1) were synthesized by the co-precipitation method and coated with citric acid (MNP2). The prepared MNP1 and MNP2 were characterized by XRD, FTIR, AFM, FE-SEM, EDS, and zeta potential analysis. For coagulation process, the effect of different types of coagulants (alum, FeCl3, MNP1, MNP2), coagulant dosage (10–110 mg/l), and initial pH (3–9) were examined in this work. The best coagulant was MNP2
... Show MoreThis work includes the synthesis of new ester compounds containing two 1,3,4-oxadiazole rings, 15a-c and 16a-c. This was done over seven steps, starting with p-acetamido-phenol 1 and 2-mercaptobenzoimidazole 2. The structure of the products was determined using FT-IR, 1H NMR, and mass spectroscopy. The evaluation of the antimicrobial activities of some prepared compounds was achieved against four types of bacteria (two types of gram-positive bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, and two types of gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. Coli), as well as against one types of fungus (C. albino). The results show moderate activit against the study bacteria, and the theoretical analysis of the toxi
... Show MoreThe current study was conducted with the aim of fortifying meat burger with the protein isolate extracted from defatted sweetened and unsweetened apricot kernels. The antimicrobial activity of defatted apricot kernels and protein isolates of sweetened and unsweetened kernels against some pathogenic microbes was studied, and it was characterized by its effect on gram-positive bacteria more than gram-negative bacteria. As for its effect on yeast, the inhibition diameter was 4.5 mm at a concentration of 200 mg for the unsweetened protein isolate. As for its effect on mold, the inhibition percentage was between 56.05 65.21% for all samples at a concentration of 100 mg. The sweetened and unsweetened protein isolate was used in the manufact
... Show MoreOsteoarthritis is a degenerative disease affecting joints that is chronic and disables the movement of patients with increasing pain and decreasing their quality of life with age. Available treatments are only symptomatic with no cure. Recent methods for managing osteoarthritis involve using pharmacological, non-pharmacological treatments or both for improving physical function in patients and alleviating pain. Clinical trials were conducted to reveal the extent of benefits obtained from different nutraceuticals and food supplements, such as collagen with growing use and fairly good results in the treatment of osteoarthritis. The goal of this study is to review the current information about the rational use of collagen in osteoarthritisKeyw
... Show MoreIt is well known that sonography is not the first choice in detecting early breast tumors. Improving the resolution of breast sonographic image is the goal of many workers to make sonography a first choice examination as it is safe and easy procedure as well as cost effective. In this study, infrared light exposure of breast prior to ultrasound examination was implemented to see its effect on resolution of sonographic image. Results showed that significant improvement was obtained in 60% of cases.