Effect of Moisture on the Mechanical Properties of Wood-Plastic Composites Hybridized with Metal Grid Layers.

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are some of the most common modern composite materials for interior and exterior design that combine natural waste wood properties and the molding possibility of a thermoplastic polymer binder. The addition of reinforcing elements, binding agents, pigments, and coatings, as well as changes to the microstructure and composition, can all affect the quality of WPCs for particular purposes. To improve the properties, hybrid composite panels of WPCs with 30 wt. % and 40 wt. % of wood content and reinforced with one or three metal grid layers were prepared sequentially by extrusion and hot pressure molding. The results show an average 20% higher moisture absorption for composites with higher wood content. A high impact test (HIT) revealed that the absorbed energy of deformation increased with the number of metal grid layers, regardless of the wood content, around two times for all samples before water immersion and around ten times after water absorption. Also, absorbed energy increases with raised wood content, which is most pronounced in three-metal-grid samples, from 21 J to 26 J (before swelling) and from 15 J to 24 J (after swelling). Flexural tests follow the trends observed by HIT, indicating around 65% higher strength for samples with three metal grid layers vs. samples without a metal grid before water immersion and around 80% higher strength for samples with three metal grid layers vs. samples without a grid after water absorption. The synthesis route, double reinforcing (wood and metal), applied methods of characterization, and optimization according to the obtained results provide a WPC with improved mechanical properties ready for an outdoor purpose.

The investigation of antibacterial activity of hyperlight fluid fusion subcellular essential complex.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the possibility of applying the hyperlight fluid fusion essential complex in dental plaque control, and to evaluate the effectiveness of new and modern agents used for the prevention and early treatment of gingivitis. METHODOLOGY: The study included 60 subjects randomly divided into two groups. The control group was assigned to 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) mouth rinse, whereas the test group used a solution based on hyper-harmonized hydroxylated fullerene water complex (3HFWC), twice daily for 2 weeks. The plaque, gingivitis and bleeding scores were evaluated and recorded. Collected plaque samples were seeded on blood agar and incubated aerobically at a temperature of 37 °C for 24-48 hours. In order to isolate anaerobic bacteria, samples were seeded on Schaedler Agar and incubated anaerobically at 37 °C for seven days. Serial dilutions in saline from 101 - 106 were made, and grown colonies were counted and identified using the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) system. RESULTS: The reduction in the number of bacteria was significant in both control and test groups. The reduction was greater in the control group compared to the experimental group, but without statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: 3HFWC treatment causes significant reduction in the number of dental plaque microorganisms. Since 3HFWC solution exhibited a bacteriostatic effect similar to chlorhexidine it could be an adequate addition to solution of a growing problem in prevention and early treatment of gingivitis and periodontitis.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Accurate Diagnosis and Treatment Planning of Non-Syndromic Supernumerary Teeth: A Case Report in a Six-Year-Old Boy.

Hyperdontia can cause numerous aesthetic and functional problems. The diagnosis is made radiologically, and the most commonly used radiological method is orthopantomography, while CBCT is also used. CBCT has the advantage of being three-dimensional. Artificial Intelligence is widely used in medicine and dentistry, and it can create a specific algorithm to aid in diagnosis and suggest therapeutic procedures. In a case report, a 6-year-old boy was diagnosed with a supernumerary tooth between the upper central incisors. Orthopantomography revealed another impacted supernumerary tooth, and the patient was referred for CBCT. A platform for analyzing dental images, based on artificial intelligence, Diagnocat (Diagnocat Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA), was used for analysis and the AI system identified the supernumerary teeth and provided a complete plan for treatment. The use of AI in dentistry allows for faster and more accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.

Esthetic preferences of orthodontists, dentists, and plastic surgeons for balanced facial profiles.

PURPOSE: The aim of this investigation was to determine whether the facial esthetics of subjects rated as "attractive" can be related to specific cephalometric soft tissue parameters. METHODS: The profile silhouettes of 100 subjects (45 males and 55 females) were rated by 60 esthetics specialists (20 orthodontists, 20 dentists, and 20 plastic surgeons) using a Likert scale, and 30 of the subjects were selected as being "attractive". The cephalometric measurements of the attractive group were then compared with norms for the general Caucasian population. RESULTS: The effects of specific measured parameters on profile beauty grades were assessed using the median test, and the following variables were found to show significant correlations between the Caucasian norms and the attractive profile group: the ratio of the upper to lower face height (P = 0.011), the ratio of the subnasale - labrale inferius (Sn-Li) and labrale inferius - menton (Li-Me`) lines (P = 0.011), the distance between the chin and the subnasale perpendicular (P = 0.002), upper lip thickness (P = 0.021), soft tissue chin thickness (P = 0.021), vertical height ratio (P = 0.021), and nasolabial angle (P = 0.021). CONCLUSION: A straight profile with a fuller and more protruded upper lip, a higher nasal tip, and a smaller lower facial third are considered to be the most attractive facial features, and may be useful for improvement of facial esthetics.

Analysis of the Impact of Oral Health on Adolescent Quality of Life Using Standard Statistical Methods and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of oral health on adolescent quality of life and to compare the results obtained using standard statistical methods and artificial intelligence algorithms. In order to measure the impact of oral health on adolescent quality of life, a validated Serbian version of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) scale was used. The total sample comprised 374 respondents. The obtained results were processed using standard statistical methods and machine learning, i.e., artificial intelligence algorithms-singular value decomposition. OIDP score was dichotomized into two categories depending on whether the respondents had or did not have oral or teeth problems affecting their life quality. Human intuition and machine algorithms came to the same conclusion on how the respondents should be divided. As such, method quality and the need to perform analyses of this type in dentistry studies were demonstrated. Using artificial intelligence algorithms, the respondents can be clustered into characteristic groups that allow the discovery of details not possible with the intuitive division of respondents by gender.

The Outcomes of an Interventional Oral Health Program on Dental Students' Oral Hygiene.

Dental students are an interesting population because they are expected to have a higher level of knowledge of and to exhibit better oral hygiene habits, and thus have a greater impact on the environment, families, and society as a whole. The aim of this research was to determine the state of oral hygiene in dental students before and after the interventional health education program. The research sample consisted of 119 students of dentistry in their first and fourth years of study. The first research stage was conducted before health education intervention (for the evaluation of selected oral health parameters, the Decayed, Missing and Filled index, Greene-Vermillion index, Silness-Löe plaque index, Silness-Löe gingival index, and the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs index were used). The second stage was conducted as a clinical measurement of oral health changes. The conducted health education intervention, to an extent, led to changes in the state of oral hygiene among the students, and thus healthier habits. There was a statistically significant difference in the examined population between the beginning of the study and after the health education intervention program. Although a significant improvement in oral hygiene and oral health was noticed after the health education intervention program, the state of oral hygiene was still not at a satisfactory level among the dental students, contrary to our expectations.

Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter spp.: A review of the literature.

Campylobacter spp. are commensal organisms in the intestinal tract of food producing and companion animals. There is an increasing trend of human campylobacteriosis worldwide, including complicated cases that request treatment by antibiotics. Prevalence of resistance continually increases, especially to fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines. There are many reports on multiresistant strains of Campylobacter spp.In this work we present the available information about the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. worldwide, as well as studies from Serbia published in last two decades. Campylobacter strains isolated from animal samples in Serbia showed increased prevalence of antimicrobial resistance to all clinically relevant antibiotics. Preliminary data (2014-2019) from Reference laboratory for Campylobacter and Helicobacter at the Institute of Public Health of Nis, Serbia show high resistance rates to ciprofloxacin (90%) and to tetracycline (50%) but low resistance to erythromycin (<5%) in human Campylobacter isolates.