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.
This paper proposes a new method to tune a fractional order PID controller. This method utilizes both the analytic and numeric approach to determine the controller parameters. The control design specifications that must be achieved by the control system are gain crossover frequency, phase margin, and peak magnitude at the resonant frequency, where the latter is a new design specification suggested by this paper. These specifications results in three equations in five unknown variables. Assuming that certain relations exist between two variables and discretizing one of them, a performance index can be evaluated and the optimal controller parameters that minimize this performance index are selected. As a case study, a third order linear time
... Show MoreTraditional accounting takes only one dimension (economic) in calculating the value added of the company, and all other aspects (including environmental and social) are neglected, and despite the emergence of Sustainability Accounting and the interest of companies in preparing sustainability reports, these reports are suffering from many problems, including multiple metrics used in measuring companies (cash, quantity and lavish). In addition, these reports may reach dozens of pages in some companies and this causes the problem (information overload) which affects the qualitative properties of accounting information such as appropriate and relative, which requires the need to find a tool that can measure the Sustainability Unit of
... Show MoreThis paper proposes a new method to tune a fractional order PID controller. This method utilizes both the analytic and numeric approach to determine the controller parameters. The control design specifications that must be achieved by the control system are gain crossover frequency, phase margin, and peak magnitude at the resonant frequency, where the latter is a new design specification suggested by this paper. These specifications results in three equations in five unknown variables. Assuming that certain relations exist between two variables and discretizing one of them, a performance index can be evaluated and the optimal controller parameters that minimize this performance index are selected. As a case study, a thir
... Show MoreIn this study, manganese dioxide (MnO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via the hydrothermal method and utilized for the adsorption of Janus green dye (JG) from aqueous solutions. The effects of MnO₂ NPs on kinetics and diffusion were also analyzed. The synthesized NPs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), with XRD confirming the nanoparticle size of 6.23 nm. The adsorption kinetics were investigated using three models: pseudo-first-order (PFO), pseudo-second-order (PSO), and the intraparticle diffusion model. The PSO model provided the best fit (R² = 0.999), indicating that the adsorpti
... Show MoreThe removal of congo red (CR) is a critical issue in contemporary textile industry wastewater treatment. The current study introduces a combined electrochemical process of electrocoagulation (EC) and electro-oxidation (EO) to address the elimination of this dye. Moreover, it discusses the formation of a triple composite of Co, Mn, and Ni oxides by depositing fixed salt ratios (1:1:1) of these oxides in an electrolysis cell at a constant current density of 25 mA/cm2. The deposition ended within 3 hours at room temperature. X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) characterized the structural and surface morphology of the multi-oxide sedim
... Show MoreThree hundred Iraqi people participated in demographic and attitudes study about red and white meat consumption. The mean age of the participants was 50 SD ± 11 years (mean 30-72); 51% were females and 49% males, mostly in forties who lived ≥ 5 years in Baghdad. The results showed that 80% of individuals prefer red meat. A 90% of people prefer fresh meat compared to frozen and processed meat. A 60% of people buy meat from popular markets. Nearly 87% of respondents believe the improving of livestock sector is essential and 80% of people confirmed there are obstacles to development this sector. An 80% of participates thought the reasons of the high prices of local fresh meat is the lack of plann
... Show MoreWarfarin dosing is challenging due to a multitude of factors affecting its pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). A novel personalised dosing algorithm predicated on a warfarin PK/PD model and incorporating CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genotype information has been developed for children. The present prospective, observational study aimed to compare the model with conventional weight-based dosing. The study involved two groups of children post-cardiac surgery: Group 1 were warfarin naïve, in whom loading and maintenance doses were estimated using the model over a 6-month duration and compared to historical case-matched controls. Group 2 were already established on maintenance therapy a
The purpose of this study is to avoid delays and cost changes that occur in emergency reconstruction projects especially in post disaster circumstances. This study is aimed to identify the factors that affect the real construction period and the real cost of a project against the estimated period of construction and the estimated cost of the project. The case study is related to the construction projects in Iraq. Thirty projects in different areas of construction in Iraq were selected as a sample for this study. Project participants from the projects authorities provided data about the projects through a data collection distributed survey made by the authors. Mathematical data analysis was used to construct a model to predict change
... Show MoreGlobally, chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a significant public health concern, characterized by high rates of morbidity and mortality. To assess the risk of kidney damage, researchers have identified tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and fatty acid-binding protein-1 (FABP-1) as valuable biomarkers. This study aims to analyse the effectiveness of specific biomarkers in assessing CKD and its associated mechanisms in Iraqi patients. The study was conducted from December 2023 to May 2024. Ninety subjects, aged 48–65 years; including 60 patients with CKD (38 male and 22 female) attended the Baghdad Teaching Hospital/ Medical City/ Dialysis Unit- Baghdad, Iraq. In addition, 30 healthy people (15 male an
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