SEMS

PLA (Poly-lactic acid)-wood provides more biodegradability through natural fibers, a significant advantage of pure PLA. Nevertheless, these bio-composites may have inferior mechanical properties compared to non-degradable polymer composites, considering the lower strength of natural particles compared to synthetic fibers. This research examines the fatigue behavior of additive-manufactured biopolymer PLA-wood and assesses its comparability with pure PLA. Therefore, solid fatigue test samples were printed using the FDM (fused deposition modeling) method...

The performance of apparently biocompatible implanted bovine bone grafts may be compromised by unresolved chronic inflammation, and poor graft incorporation leading to implant failure. Monitoring the intensity and duration of the inflammatory response caused by implanted bone grafts is crucial. In this study, the ability of demineralized (DMB) and decellularized (DCC) bovine bone substitutes in initiating inflammatory responses to peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (PBMMs) was investigated. The response of PBMMs to bone substitutes was evaluated by using both direct and indirect cell culture, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, apoptosis, immunophenotyping, and cytokine production...

Coal bottom ash (CBA) which is waste and environment contaminant has been used in grinded and raw form as replacement of Portland cement (PC) and natural fine aggregates (NFA) in concrete. The combined effect of grinding period (GP) (2-10 h), grinded CBA (GCBA) (10-30%), and raw CBA (0-50%) on strength and microstructural characteristics was investigated and optimized along with its sustainability assessment. An enhancement in strength parameters with an increase in GP and replacement of PC and NFA with GCBA and CBA respectively was observed...

INTRODUCTION: Sit-to-stand (STS) movement is fundamental in daily life. STS tasks have been used to assess lower limb muscle strength, balance control, and functional abilities in various populations, but limited information is available on their use in older individuals with knee osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: We here examined the intra-rater, inter-rater, and test-retest reliability of the 30-s and 5-time STS tests, and calculated the standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC)...

OBJECTIVES: No article on serum lipids in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and control subjects has been reported from USA. The primary aim of this study was to determine if any difference occurred in serum lipid levels in AS and control rheumatic disorders in two time periods, 1978-98 and 2000-10. The secondary aim was to investigate variables associated with lipid levels and if a difference was found between AS and control disorders. METHODS: The AS patients were compared to non-inflammatory rheumatic disorders (NIRDs) in 1978-98 and 2000-10 surveys and to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the 2000-10 survey...

AIM: This in vitro study aims to assess and compare the effectiveness of different irrigation activation techniques in removing the smear layer from the root canal dentin using Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 extracted single-rooted premolar with straight canal and mature apex were used for this study. After the selection of teeth, all the samples were decoronated followed by biomechanical preparation. The sample after preparation was irrigated with sodium hypochlorite and randomly divided into three groups with 20 sample in each group ( n = 20), (Group 1) control, (Group 2) ultrasonic, and (Group 3) laser...

Utilization of organic phosphates and insoluble phosphates for the gradual generation of plant-available phosphorus (P) is the only sustainable solution for P fertilization. Enzymatic conversions are one of the best sustainable routes for releasing P to soil. Phosphatase enzyme aids in solubilizing organic and insoluble phosphates to plant-available P. We herein report the preparation of highly functional chitosan beads co-immobilized with acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes via a glutaraldehyde linkage...

Aim The study aims to characterize Fe and Mg co-substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (FeMgHAPn) and assess the antimicrobial properties of FeMgHAPn-incorporated orthodontic composite. Materials and methods FeMgHAPn was synthesized using the sol-gel method, and the prepared nanoparticle powder was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX)) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis. The FeMgHAPn was incorporated into a commercially available orthodontic composite in two concentrations (40 and 20 μL), and the structure was examined using SEM...

PURPOSE: Transgender women experience higher-than-average rates of multiple medical conditions. Thyroid cancer occurs more frequently in those assigned female at birth than in those assigned male at birth. We sought to characterize thyroid cancer among transgender female veterans. METHODS: We reviewed charts of veterans who were (1) seen in Veterans Affairs clinics across the United States from July 2017 to December 2022, (2) had an International Classification of Diseases, revision 10, diagnosis code for thyroid cancer, and (3) had an International Classification of Diseases, revision 10, diagnosis code for gender dysphoria or were assigned male at birth and ever had a prescription for estrogens...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exhibits high mortality rates in the advanced stage (>90 %). Sorafenib (SORA) is a targeted therapy approved for the treatment of advanced HCC; however, the reported response rate to such a therapeutic is suboptimal (<3%). Piperine (PIP) is an alkaloid demonstrated to exert a direct tumoricidal activity in HCC and improve the pharmacokinetic profiles of anticancer drugs including SORA. In this study, we developed a strategy to improve efficacy outcomes in HCC using PIP as an add-on treatment to support the first-line therapy SORA using biodegradable Poly (D, L-Lactide-co-glycolide, PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs)...

Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, a plant pathogenic fungus that can cause diseases in multiple plant species is considered one of the common and destructive pathogens in many crops. This study investigated the action of antimycin A1, which was isolated from Streptomyces AHF-20 found in the rhizosphere soil of an ancient banyan tree, on Rhizoctonia solani and its mechanism. The inhibitory effect of antimycin A1 on R. solani was assessed using the comparative growth rate method. The results revealed that antimycin A1 exhibited a 92...

This research aims to find out the factors affecting the adoption of Metaverse in healthcare. This study explores the effect of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and trust on adopting Metaverse in healthcare by keeping digital division and metaculture as moderating variables. The philosophical foundation is rooted in the positivism paradigm, the methodology is quantitative, and the approach used is deductive. Data was collected in Pakistan and China through judgmental sampling from 384 respondents...

Fluorinated carbon (CF x ) has been extensively served as promising positive electrode material for lithium primary batteries due to its high energy density. However, there are comparatively far less reports about the use of CF x on other battery systems, let alone on the research of aqueous batteries. Herein in this study, we employed CF x as the cathode active for aqueous zinc batteries for the first time and systematically investigated its electrochemical behavior under a series of aqueous zinc-ion electrolytes...

Here, synthesis and thorough characterization of β-NaFeO2 nanoparticles utilizing a co-precipitation technique is presented. XRD analysis confirmed a hexagonal-phase structure of β-NaFeO2 . SEM revealed well-dispersed spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of 45 nm. The FTIR spectrum analysis revealed weak adsorption bands at 1054 cm-1 suggested metal-metal bond stretching (Fe-Na). UV-Visible spectroscopy indicates a 4.4 eV optical band gap. Colloidal stability of β-NaFeO2 was evidenced via Zeta potential (-28...

OBJECTIVE: Reuse of medical devices poses risks concerning technical issues and patient safety. In this study, we aimed to examine the structural changes in catheters that occur due to the reuse with the aid of electron microscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of hydrogen peroxide (HP) and ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization on four percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) catheters and control PTCA catheters were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM)...

Infected wounds pose a significant challenge in healthcare, requiring innovative therapeutic strategies. Therefore, there is a critical need for innovative pharmaceutical materials to improve wound healing and combat bacterial growth. This study examined the efficacy of azithromycin-loaded silver nanoparticles (AZM-AgNPs) in treating infected wounds. AgNPs synthesized using a green method with Quinoa seed extract were loaded with AZM. Characterization techniques, including X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and Uv-Vis analysis were utilized...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the present status of self-management behavior and glycemic control in individuals diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D), as well as to examine the impact of health quotient (HQ) and time management skills on both self-management behavior and glycemic control. METHODS: Between October 2022 and March 2023, a purposive sampling method had been utilized to select 215 participants with type T2D. The survey concluded a general information questionnaire, an HQ scale, a diabetes time management questionnaire and a self-management behavior questionnaire...

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with diagnostic criteria requiring symptoms to begin in childhood. We investigated whether individuals diagnosed as children differ from those diagnosed in adulthood with respect to shared and unique architecture at the genome-wide and gene expression level of analysis. METHODS: We used genomic structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate differences in genetic correlations ( r g ) of childhood-diagnosed ( n cases  = 14,878) and adulthood-diagnosed ( n cases  = 6961) ADHD with 98 behavioral, psychiatric, cognitive, and health outcomes...

BACKGROUND: Catadromous fishes have well-developed elongated olfactory organs with numerous lamellae and different types of receptor neurons related to their breeding migration. AIM: The current study showed how the olfactory system adapted to the catadromous life. Our work declared the need of the migratory fishes for the sense of smell that is exhibited by a higher number of the olfactory lamellae and the receptor neuron verification in the olfactory epithelium...

In this work, a non-precious group metal (non-PGM) electrocatalyst based on transition metals is introduced as a promising solution for enhancing the efficiency of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). Nickel-cobalt mixed tungstate was prepared using a simple co-precipitation method with different molar ratios of Ni, Co and W. The prepared materials were tested and validated using different characterization techniques. It was observed using SEM that the materials are agglomerated amorphous random circular nanocomposite structures...