Analysis of Tissue Repair of a New Cement Based on Calcium and Strontium Aluminates: A Triple-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial in an Animal Model.

Objective:  The focus of this triple-blind randomized study was to evaluate the biocompatibility of a new root canal filling sealer (RCFS) based on tristrontium aluminate and dodecacalcium hepta-aluminate in living tissue.

Material And Methods:  Forty-five Wistar rats () were divided into three groups: control (polyethylene), sealer (Bio-C Sealer, Londrina, PR, Brazil), and experimental (tristrontium aluminate and dodecacalcium hepta-aluminate). The tissues were analyzed under an optical microscope to assess different cellular events at different time intervals (7, 15, and 30 days).

Influence of barium substitution on the physical, thermal, optical and luminescence properties of Sm-doped metaphosphate glasses for reddish orange light applications.

Our present study focuses on examining the thermal, structural and luminescent characteristics of sodium barium metaphosphate glasses doped with Sm. Glass samples with molar compositions (100 - )[(50PO)-(50-NaO)-(BaO)]-SmO, where = 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and = 0.3 and 1% were first synthesized by conventional melt quenching and later dehydroxylated under a constant N flow to ensure final glasses with a very high degree of chemical and optical homogeneity and free of water.

Electrochemical Response of 3D-Printed Free-Standing Reduced Graphene Oxide Electrode for Sodium Ion Batteries Using a Three-Electrode Glass Cell.

Graphene and its derivatives have been widely used to develop novel materials with applications in energy storage. Among them, reduced graphene oxide has shown great potential for more efficient storage of Na ions and is a current target in the design of electrodes for environmentally friendly Na ion batteries. The search for more sustainable and versatile manufacturing processes also motivates research into additive manufacturing electrodes.

Long-Term In Vitro Adhesive Properties of Two Universal Adhesives to Dentin.

The composition of universal adhesives, as well as the adhesive strategy, may influence bonding effectiveness and durability. This study aimed to evaluate the microtensile bond strength (µTBS) and nanoleakage (NL), immediately and after 6-month aging, and in situ degree of conversion (DC), of two universal adhesives (Scotchbond Universal Adhesive, SBU; Xeno Select, XEN) applied with etch-and-rinse (ER) and self-etch (SE) strategies, in comparison with a two-step SE adhesive (Clearfil SE Bond, CSE). Dentin surfaces of fifty human third molars were randomly assigned to the following adhesives: two universal adhesives, SBU and XEN, applied in ER or SE mode and CSE, used as control.

Tuning the fluorescence of Dy via the structure of borophosphate glasses.

The optical characteristics of Dy-doped phosphate and borophosphate glasses with different divalent network modifiers prepared by melt-quenching are studied. The glass sets (A) with a molar composition of 40MO-60PO and (B) with a molar composition of 40MO-20BO-40 PO are investigated, both with M = (Zn, Mg, Ca, Sr, or Ba) and all doped with 0.1 mol% DyO.

Structured Reactors Based on 3D Fe/SiC Catalysts: Understanding the Effects of Mixing.

The application of structured reactors provides a number of advantages in chemical processes. In this paper, two different three-dimensional (3D) Fe/SiC catalysts with a square cell geometry have been manufactured by Robocasting: monoliths ( = 14 and = 15 mm) and meshes ( = 24 and = 2 mm) and studied in the catalytic phenol oxidation by hydrogen peroxide (HO) for the sustainable production of dihydroxybenzenes (DHBZ). The fluid dynamics, catalytic performance, reaction rates, external mass transport limitation, and catalyst stability have been compared in three different reactors, monolithic fixed-bed reactor, multimesh fixed-bed reactor, and monolithic stirrer reactor, at selected operating conditions.

Graphene-Based Materials, Their Composites, and Potential Applications.

Since its isolation in 2004, monolayer graphene has attracted enormous attention within the scientific community, the industry, and the general public owing to its exceptional properties (electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical) and prospects [...

Layer-by-layer vaginal films for acyclovir controlled release to prevent genital herpes.

Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide. It mainly affects women, as the rate of sexual transmission from male-to-female is higher than from female-to-male. The application of vaginal antivirals drugs could reduce the prevalence of genital herpes and prevent future infections.

Silicon Oxycarbide Porous Particles and Film Coating as Strategies for Tenofovir Controlled Release in Vaginal Tablets for HIV Prevention.

Sustained release of antiretroviral drugs is currently the most encouraging strategy for the prevention of the sexual transmission of HIV. Vaginal tablets based on hydrophilic gelling polymers are an interesting dosage form for this purpose, since they can be developed to modify the release of the drug depending on the tablet swelling. Tenofovir is a drug with proven activity in the prevention of HIV-1 infection, and it is possible to have it loaded in the surface of γ-aminopropyl trimethoxy silane-functionalized oxycarbide particles.

10 years of research on toughness enhancement of structural ceramics by graphene.

Over the past decade, a new family of ceramic matrix composites has been developed from the incorporation of homogeneously dispersed graphene-based fillers (graphene nanoplatelets/GNP, graphene oxide sheets/rGO or graphene nanoribbons/GNR) into the ceramic matrices. These composites have shown a significant increment of their fracture toughness accompanied by other electrical and thermal functionalities, which make them potentially attractive for a wide range of applications. Here, the main methods for testing the fracture toughness of these composites are described, then the principal observations on the reinforcing mechanisms responsible for this improvement are briefly reviewed, and we discuss the relation with graphene platelets type, morphology and alignment.

Rheological Properties of Different Graphene Nanomaterials in Biological Media.

Carbon nanomaterials have received increased attention in the last few years due to their potential applications in several areas. In medicine, for example, these nanomaterials could be used as contrast agents, drug transporters, and tissue regenerators or in gene therapy. This makes it necessary to know the behavior of carbon nanomaterials in biological media to assure good fluidity and the absence of deleterious effects on human health.

Carbon SH-SAW-Based Electronic Nose to Discriminate and Classify Sub-ppm NO.

In this research, a compact electronic nose (e-nose) based on a shear horizontal surface acoustic wave (SH-SAW) sensor array is proposed for the NO detection, classification and discrimination among some of the most relevant surrounding toxic chemicals, such as carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH), benzene (CH) and acetone (CHO). Carbon-based nanostructured materials (CBNm), such as mesoporous carbon (MC), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), graphene oxide (GO) and polydopamine/reduced graphene oxide (PDA/rGO) are deposited as a sensitive layer with controlled spray and Langmuir-Blodgett techniques. We show the potential of the mass loading and elastic effects of the CBNm to enhance the detection, the classification and the discrimination of NO among different gases by using Machine Learning (ML) techniques (e.

Eudragit® L100/chitosan composite thin bilayer films for intravaginal pH-responsive release of Tenofovir.

The high rate of HIV new infections and AIDS-related deaths each year make prevention tools still necessary today. Different dosage forms - including films - for vaginal administration of antiretroviral drugs have been developed for this purpose. Six batches of Tenofovir-loaded films were formulated based on Eudragit® L100 (EL100) and chitosan, containing triethyl citrate and glycerol.

Optimized hydration dynamics in mucoadhesive xanthan-based trilayer vaginal films for the controlled release of tenofovir.

Karaya gum, pectin and xanthan gum have been tested as candidates for manufacturing mucoadhesive trilayer films containing ethylcellulose and chitosan for the vaginal administration of the antiviral Tenofovir (TFV). The swelling profile correlated with the amount of mobile dipoles determined by impedance spectroscopy allows the determination of the hydration dynamics of these films. The fast water penetration has been demonstrated to favor the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) via hydrogen or ionic bonds which would favor a controlled release.

Solid Oxide Cell Electrode Nanocomposites Fabricated by Inkjet Printing Infiltration of Ceria Scaffolds.

The enhancement of solid oxide cell (SOC) oxygen electrode performance through the generation of nanocomposite electrodes via infiltration using wet-chemistry processes has been widely studied in recent years. An efficient oxygen electrode consists of a porous backbone and an active catalyst, which should provide ionic conductivity, high catalytic activity and electronic conductivity. Inkjet printing is a versatile additive manufacturing technique, which can be used for reliable and homogeneous functionalization of SOC electrodes via infiltration for either small- or large-area devices.

Bigels as drug delivery systems: From their components to their applications.

Bigels are systems that usually result from mixing a hydrogel and an organogel: the aqueous phase is commonly formed by a hydrophilic biopolymer, whereas the organic phase comprises a gelled vegetable oil because of the presence of an organogelator. The proportion of the corresponding gelling agent in each phase, the organogel/hydrogel ratio, and the mixing temperature and speed all need to be taken into consideration for bigel manufacturing. Bigels, which are particularly useful drug delivery systems, have already been formulated for transdermal, buccal, and vaginal routes.

3D-Printed Fe/γ-AlO Monoliths from MOF-Based Boehmite Inks for the Catalytic Hydroxylation of Phenol.

The synthesis of dihydroxybenzenes (DHBZ), essential chemical reagents in numerous industrial processes, with a high degree of selectivity and yield from the hydroxylation of phenol is progressively attracting great interest in the catalysis field. Furthermore, the additive manufacturing of catalysts to produce 3D printed monoliths would provide additional benefits to enhance the DHBZ synthesis performance. Herein, 3D cellular Fe/γ-AlO monoliths with a total porosity of 88% and low density (0.

Preparation and Properties of Sustainable Brake Pads with Recycled End-of-Life Tire Rubber Particles.

Sustainable composite brake pads were processed by employing recycled end-of-life tire (ELT) rubber particles obtained by means of cryogenic grinding and ambient grinding. The effect of the grinding mechanism and concentration of ELT rubber particles was then reported. From the friction result test, better behavior in terms of coefficient of friction (COF) was obtained when 3% of ELT rubber particles were introduced into the composite.

Silane Modification of Mesoporous Materials for the Optimization of Antiviral Drug Adsorption and Release Capabilities in Vaginal Media.

Three different functionalities have been incorporated into mesoporous materials by means of a coupling reaction with the siloxanes 3-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (GLYMO), 3-methacryloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (MEMO), and 3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The disposition of the different functional groups, as well as the interaction mechanism, with the mesoporous substrate has been identified. The amount of the antiviral drug acyclovir (ACV) adsorbed depends not only on the available surface area but also on the chemical or physicochemical interactions between functionalities.

Competition Effects during Femtosecond Laser Induced Element Redistribution in Ba- and La-Migration Based Laser Written Waveguides.

Fs-laser induced element redistribution (FLIER) has been a subject of intensive research in recent years. Its application to various types of glasses has already resulted in the production of efficient optical waveguides, tappers, amplifiers and lasers. Most of the work reported on FLIER-based waveguides refers to structures produced by the cross-migration of alkali (Na, K) and lanthanides (mostly La).

Insights into the Microstructural Evolution Occurring during Pyrolysis of Metal-Modified Ceramers Studied through Selective SiO Removal.

Silicon oxycarbide ceramers containing 5% aluminum, zirconium, and cobalt with respect to the total Si amount are prepared from a commercial polysiloxane and molecular precursors and pyrolyzed at temperatures ranging from 500 to 1000 °C. HF etching is carried out to partially digest the silica phase, thus revealing structural characteristics of the materials, which depend upon the incorporated heteroatom. From the structural and textural characterization, it was deduced that when Al enters into the ceramer structure, the crosslinking degree is increased, leading to lower carbon domain size and carbon incorporation as well.

Effect of the NaO-NbO-PO glass additive on the structure, dielectric and energy storage performances of sodium niobate ceramics.

A phosphate glass NaO-NbO-PO (NPP) is incorporated into NaNbO (NN) ceramics to examine its impact on the density, rearrangement of structural units, dielectric and energy storage features of the elaborated composites. The sodium niobate ceramic (NN) is prepared using the solid state process, whereas, the NaO-NbO-PO (NPP) glasses are produced using the method of conventional melt quenching. The glass (NPP) is added to the ceramic (NN) according to the composition (100-x) NN-xNNP; (x = 0, 2.

Smart vaginal bilayer films of Tenofovir based on Eudragit® L100/natural polymer for the prevention of the sexual transmission of HIV.

In the absence of an effective vaccine, vaginal microbicides are essential for preventing the sexual transmission of HIV to women. Antiretroviral vaginal films have emerged as promising choices, especially those offering mucoadhesivity and controlled drug release. Tenofovir-loaded bilayer films based on Eudragit® L100 (EL100) and a biopolymer - gum arabic, karaya gum, pectin or tragacanth gum - were developed in a single-stage process.

Thermal Transport and Thermoelectric Effect in Composites of Alumina and Graphene-Augmented Alumina Nanofibers.

The remarkable tunability of 2D carbon structures combined with their non-toxicity renders them interesting candidates for thermoelectric applications. Despite some limitations related to their high thermal conductivity and low Seebeck coefficients, several other unique properties of the graphene-like structures could out-weight these weaknesses in some applications. In this study, hybrid structures of alumina ceramics and graphene encapsulated alumina nanofibers are processed by spark plasma sintering to exploit advantages of thermoelectric properties of graphene and high stiffness of alumina.

Functionally Graded Tunable Microwave Absorber with Graphene-Augmented Alumina Nanofibers.

Graphene is currently attracting attention for radiation absorption particularly at gigahertz and terahertz frequencies. In this work, composites formed by graphene-augmented γ-AlO nanofibers embedded into the α-AlO matrix are tested for X-band absorption efficiency. Composites with 15 and 25 wt % of graphene fillers with shielding effectiveness (SE) of 38 and 45 dB, respectively, show a high reflection coefficient, while around the electrical percolation threshold (∼1 wt %), an SE of 10 dB was achieved.