Background. “Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)” is a biocompatible, high-strength polymer that is well-suited for use in dental applications due to its unique properties. However, achieving good adhesion between PEEK and hydrophilic materials such as dental adhesives or cement can be challenging. Also, this hydrophobicity may affect the use of PEEK as an implant material. Surface treatment or conditioning is often necessary to improve surface properties. The piranha solution is the treatment of choice to be explored for this purpose. Methods. PEEK disks of 10 mm diameter and 2 mm thickness were used in this study. Those samples were divided into five groups (each group has five samples). The first is the control group, in which no acid treatment was used; the second group undergoes sulfuric acid treatment. The remaining three groups were treated with Piranha solution; each group used a different concentration (1 : 3, 1 : 5, and 1 : 7 hydrogen peroxide to sulfuric acid, respectively). The period of treatment was 60 s for all groups. Wettability and surface roughness tests were done for the five groups. In statistical analysis, Shapiro–Wilk test was used to check the assumption of normality and to determine the statistical significance among groups; a one-way analysis of variance was employed. Subsequently, for multiple comparisons, Tukey’s honestly significant difference post hoc test was performed. Results. The Piranha solution treatment groups showed a higher wettability compared to the control group and the group treated with sulfuric acid. Additionally, the Piranha solution treatment with a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide (1 : 3) resulted in greater improvement in surface roughness compared to the control group and the lower concentration groups (1 : 5 and 1 : 7), while the sulfuric acid treated group showed the highest surface roughness. Conclusion. The results of this study suggest that the piranha solution can be an effective method for improving the surface characteristics of PEEK to be used in different dental applications, especially as a dental implant material, due to the increase in wettability and surface roughness.
In this paper, a compact multiband printed dipole antenna is presented as a candidate for use in wireless communication applications. The proposed fractal antenna design is based on the second level tent transformation. The space-filling property of this fractal geometry permits producing longer lengths in a more compact size. Theoretical performance of this antenna has been calculated using the commercially available software IE3D from Zeland Software Inc. This electromagnetic simulator is based on the method of moments (MoM). The proposed dipole antenna has been found to possess a considerable size reduction compared with the conventional printed or wire dipole antenna designed at the same design frequency and using the same substrate
... Show MoreWith the development of communication technologies, the use of wireless systems in biomedical implanted devices has become very useful. Bio-implantable devices are electronic devices which are used for treatment and monitoring brain implants, pacemakers, cochlear implants, retinal implants and so on. The inductive coupling link is used to transmit power and data between the primary and secondary sides of the biomedical implanted system, in which efficient power amplifier is very much needed to ensure the best data transmission rates and low power losses. However, the efficiency of the implanted devices depends on the circuit design, controller, load variation, changes of radio frequency coil’s mutual displacement and coupling coef
... Show MoreDue to the remarkable progress in photovoltaic technology, enhancing efficiency and minimized the costs have emerged as global challenges for the solar industry. A crucial aspect of this advancement involves the creation of solar cell antireflection coating, which play a significant role in minimizing sunlight reflection on the cell surface. In this study, we report on the optimization of the characteristics of CeO2 films prepared by pulsed laser deposition through the variation of laser energy density. The deposited CeO2 nanostructure films have been used as an effective antireflection coating (ARC) and light-trapping morphology to improve the efficiency of silicon crystalline solar cell. The film’s thickness increases as laser fluence i
... Show MoreIn recent years, the steady stream of artificial intelligence into economic systems has become a torrent. It is changing how we generate wealth and grow anew. Manufacturing, finance, health care energy, agriculture and education are just a few of the areas where AI may result in dramatic increases in productivity as well as innovation and sustainability. Predictive analytics, AI, robotics and natural language processing have significantly contributed in the improvement of resource allocation mechanisms and decision making as well as reaching SDGs. The concept of Artificial Humanity is also introduced in the paper. It shows how AI could become a global cognitive network to foster knowledge. By comparison and references of the literature, thi
... Show MoreIntrinsic viscosities have been studied for polyethylene oxide in water which has wide industrial applications. The polyethylene oxide samples had two different structures, the first one was linear and covers a wide range of molecular weight of 1, 3, 10, 20, 35, 99, 370, 1100, 4600, and 8000 kg/mol and the second one was branched and had molecular weights of 0.55 and 40 kg/mol.
Intrinsic viscosities and Huggins constants have been determined for all types and molecular weights mentioned above at 25ºC using a capillary viscometer. The values of Mark-Houwink parameters (K and a) were equal to 0.0068 ml/g and 0.67 respectively, and have not been published for this range of molecular weight in as yet.
Academia Open Vol 8 No 2 (2023): December DOI: 10.21070/acopen.8.2023.8087 . Article type: (Medicine)Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Students' Psychological Health Maryam Hameed Alwan, [email protected], (1) Department of Oral Diagnosis, College of Dentistry, Baghdad University, Iraq, Iraq (1) Corresponding author Abstract This study investigates the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental students at Baghdad University College of Dentistry. Conducted between December 2021 and January 2022, this cross-sectional survey aligns with ethical guidelines and the Helsinki Declaration. The study utilized Cochran's equation to determine a sample size of at least 400, ensuring a 95% confidence level with a 5% margin of e
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