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Quick and Exact Semiautomatic Segmentation of human Tooth from Tooth CT Images.
This study confirms that LfE under the conditions of benchmarking assessment and transparent disclosure of data can be implemented systematically in management practice, in order to boost health personnel's resilience and, in general, the organizational climate in the working environment.Here, we present the single-step laser-assisted fabrication of anti-reflective hierarchical surface textures on silicon locally functionalized with a photoluminescent (PL) molecular nanolayer. Using femtosecond-laser ablation of commercial crystalline Si wafers placed under a layer of a solution containing rhodamine 6G (R6G) a triethoxysilyl derivative, we fabricated ordered arrays of microconical protrusions with self-organized nanoscale surface morphology. find more At the same time, the laser-induced temperature increase facilitated surface activation and local binding of the R6G derivative to the as-fabricated nanotextured surface. The produced dual-scale surface textures showed remarkable broadband (visible to near-IR) light-absorbing properties with an averaged reflectivity of around 1%, and the capping molecular nanolayer demonstrated a strongly enhanced PL yield. link2 By performing a pH sensing test using the produced nanotextured substrate, we confirmed the retention of sensory properties of the molecules attached to the surface and validated the potential applicability of the high-performing liquid-assisted laser processing as a key technology for the development of innovative multifunctional sensing devices in which the textured substrate (e.g., ultra-black semiconductor) plays a dual role as a support and PL signal amplifier.
To compare the efficacy of rotating-oscillating heads (ORHs) VS sonic action heads (SAHs) powered toothbrushes on plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation.

An electronic (MEDLINE, Embase, Inspec, PQ SciTech and BIOSIS) and a complementary manual search were made to detect eligible studies. RCTs meeting the following criteria were included final timepoint longer than 15 days; year of publication after 2000; patients without orthodontic appliances or severe systemic/psychiatric diseases. Studies comparing two or more different types of sonic/roto-oscillating toothbrushes were excluded. Selection of articles, extraction of data, and assessment of quality were made independently by several reviewers.

12 trials (1433 participants) were included. The differences between ORHs and SAHs toothbrushes were expressed as weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The heterogeneity of data was evaluated. Concerning Plaque Index, both toothbrushes obtained comparable results. Six trials of up to 3 months and at an unclear risk of bias provided significant outcomes in terms of gingival inflammation in favor of ORHs toothbrush. Evidence resulting from three trials of up to 6 months and at a high/low risk of bias stated SAHs toothbrush superiority in gingival inflammation.

Both ORHs and SAHs toothbrushes improved the outcomes measured from the baseline. In most of the good quality trials included, SAHs toothbrush showed statistical better long-term results. Due to the shortage of investigations, no further accurate conclusions can be outlined with reference to the superiority of a specific powered toothbrush over the other.
Both ORHs and SAHs toothbrushes improved the outcomes measured from the baseline. In most of the good quality trials included, SAHs toothbrush showed statistical better long-term results. Due to the shortage of investigations, no further accurate conclusions can be outlined with reference to the superiority of a specific powered toothbrush over the other.A novel piezoelectric actuator using a two-stage flexure hinge structure is proposed in this paper, which is used in a compact and high-precision electromechanical field. The two-stage flexure hinge structure is used to provide horizontal thrust and vertical clamping force to the driving feet, which solves the problems of unstable clamping force and insufficient load capacity in traditional stick-slip piezoelectric actuators. Firstly, the main structure of the driver and the working process under the triangular wave excitation voltage are briefly introduced. Secondly, after many simulation tests, the structure of the actuator is optimized and the stability of the structure in providing clamping force is verified. Finally, through the research of the operating performance, when the amplitude is 150 V and the frequency is 3.25 kHz as the excitation source, the maximum speed can reach 338 mm/s and can bear about 3 kg load. It can be seen from the analysis that the two-stage flexure hinge structure can improve the displacement trajectory.The aim of this study was to gain information about the effect of thermal treatment of calcium silicate-based sealers. BioRoot RCS (BR), Total Fill BC Sealer (TFBC), and Total Fill BC Sealer HiFlow (TFHF) were exposed to thermal treatment at 37 °C, 47 °C, 57 °C, 67 °C, 77 °C, 87 °C and 97 °C for 30 s. Heat treatment at 97 °C was performed for 60 and 180 s to simulate inappropriate application of warm obturation techniques. Thereafter, specimens were cooled to 37 °C and physical properties (setting time/flow/film thickness according to ISO 6876) were evaluated. Chemical properties (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) were assessed after incubation of the specimens in an incubator at 37 °C and 100% humidity for 8 weeks. Statistical analysis of physical properties was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis-Test (P = 0.05). The setting time, flow, and film thickness of TFBC and TFHF were not relevantly influenced by thermal treatment. Setting time of BR decreased slightly when temperature of heat application increased from 37 °C to 77 °C (P less then 0.05). Further heat treatment of BR above 77 °C led to an immediate setting. FT-IR spectroscopy did not reveal any chemical changes for either sealers. link3 Thermal treatment did not lead to any substantial chemical changes at all temperature levels, while physical properties of BR were compromised by heating. TFBC and TFHF can be considered suitable for warm obturation techniques.The elimination of superoxide radical anions (O2•-) by 5-amino-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (mesalazine, 5-ASA), 4-amino-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-ASA), and related compounds used for ulcerative colitis treatment was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and electron spin resonance (ESR) analyses aided by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Quasi-reversible O2/O2•- redox was found to be modified by the compounds, suggesting that an acid-base reaction in which a hydroperoxyl radical (HO2•) is formed from O2•- occurs. However, the deprotonated 5-ASA anion can eliminate O2•- through proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), forming a radical product. This electron transfer (ET) was confirmed by ESR analysis. The 4-aminophenol moiety in 5-ASA plays an important role in the PCET, involving two proton transfers and one ET based on π-conjugation. The electrochemical and DFT results indicated that O2•- elimination by 5-ASA proceeds efficiently through the PCET mechanism after deprotonation of the 1-carboxyl group. Thus, 5-ASA may act as an anti-inflammatory agent in the alkali intestine through PCET-based O2•- elimination.High proportion of copper has become a global challenge owing to its negative impact on the environment and public health complications. The present study focuses on the fabrication of a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) fiber membrane incorporated with varying loading (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 wt%) of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles via phase inversion technique to achieve hydrophilicity along with high selectivity for copper removal. The developed fibers were characterized based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), permeability, porosity, zeta potential, and contact angle. The improved membrane (with 1.0 wt% TiO2) concentration recorded the maximum flux (223 L/m2·h) and copper rejection (98.18%). Similarly, 1.0 wt% concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles made the membrane matrix more hydrophilic with the least contact angle of 50.01°. The maximum copper adsorption capacity of 69.68 mg/g was attained at 1.0 wt% TiO2 concentration. The experimental data of adsorption capacity were best fitted to the Freundlich isotherm model with R2 value of 0.99573. The hybrid membrane developed in this study has considerably eliminated copper from leachate and the concentration of copper in the permeate was substantially reduced to 0.044 mg/L, which is below standard discharge threshold.Α stable isotope ratio mass spectrometer was used for stable isotope ratio (i.e., δ13C, δ18O, and δ2H) measurements, achieving geographical discrimination using orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis. A total of 100 Greek monovarietal olive oil samples from three different olive cultivars (cv. Koroneiki, cv. Lianolia Kerkyras, and cv. Maurolia), derived from Central Greece and Peloponnese, were collected during the 2019-2020 harvest year aiming to investigate the effect of botanical and geographical origin on their discrimination through isotopic data. The selection of these samples was made from traditionally olive-growing areas in which no significant research has been done so far. Samples were discriminated mainly by olive cultivar and, partially, by geographical origin, which is congruent with other authors. Based on this model, correct recognition of 93.75% in the training samples and correct prediction of 100% in the test set were achieved. The overall correct classification of the model was 91%. The predictability based on the externally validated method of discrimination was good (Q2 (cum) = 0.681) and illustrated that δ18O and δ2H were the most important isotope markers for the discrimination of olive oil samples. The authenticity of olive oil based on the examined olive varieties can be determined using this technique.Photocatalytic remediation represents a potential sustainable solution to the abatement of xenobiotic pollutants released within the water environment. Aeroxide® P25 titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are well-known as one of the most efficient photocatalysts in several applications, and have also been investigated in water remediation as suspended powder. Recently, their application in the form of thin films has been revealed as a potential alternative to avoid time-consuming filtration processes. Polymers represent suitable substrates to immobilize TiO2 NPs, allowing further production of thin films that can be exploited as a photoactive coating for environmental remediation. Nevertheless, the methods adopted to immobilize TiO2 NPs on polymer matrix involve time-consuming procedures and the use of several reactants. Here, titanium dioxide-based nanocomposites (NCx) were obtained through a new approach based on Methyl Methacrylate in situ bulk polymerization and were compared with a blended mixture (BL). Their morphology and chemical-physical properties were investigated through Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), UV-Vis, and Raman spectroscopies. It was revealed that the in situ approach deeply influences the chemical-physical interactions between the polymer matrix and TiO2 NPs. Photocatalytic experiments revealed the boosted photodegradation activity of NCx thin films, induced by the in situ approach. The photodegradation of paraquat and acetaminophen was also ascertained.
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