The potential of nanotechnology to improve human health, optimize natural resource utilization, and reduce environmental pollution is remarkable. With the ever-growing advancement in dentistry, one of the breakthroughs is using nanotechnology. Nanotechnology in periodontics has touched every aspect of treatment modality, from non-surgical therapy to implant procedures, including regenerative procedures. Understanding their mechanism plays a pivotal role in more efficient usage of nanotechnology, better treatment procedures, and eventually better outcomes. In this paper, we review the application of nanotechnology in periodontal therapy. We performed the search for papers in Scopus using the key words and phrases as follows: “nanodentistry”; “dentistry and nanotechnology”; “dentistry and nanoparticles”; “dentistry and nanomedicine”; “dentistry and nanorobots”. There were found 530 papers in total. Some papers belonged to two and more categories. It is revealed that the number of papers versus year does not follow any specific pattern, but the cumulative amount of papers versus year is fitted with the exponential regression. There were also selected papers using certain inclusion/exclusion criteria. Only the selected papers were analyzed. Nanomedicine is subjected to intensive studies nowadays. There are some promising results that will likely be implemented into praxis soon in the fields of medical diagnostics and clinical therapeutics. The appearance of nanotechnology can have a considerable impact on the treatment of periodontal diseases.
The use of infrastructure as a catalyst for Indonesia’s economic growth faces significant challenges. One example is the construction projects, which have not reached the intended goal and have led to an increase in investment cost compared to the original plan. Additionally, the interaction between the government and companies involved in toll-road construction projects under the public-private partnerships (PPP) mechanism has yet to produce good quality project governance and expected project performance. This study aimed to find empirical data on the determination of project intellectual capital and project ownership structure through good project governance on toll-road project performance in Indonesia. This study adopted a quantitative approach that involved data collected through a survey conducted among toll-road projects from 2015 to 2019. The data was analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). The results showed that project intellectual capital and project ownership structure significantly affected good project governance. Good project governance Practices significantly affected project performance. Project intellectual capital and project ownership structure influenced project performance through the mediation of good project governance. Conversely, two hypotheses were not supported by the data, i.e., the effect of project intellectual capital and project ownership structure on project performance. The findings of this research contributed to the literature regarding the implementation of collaborative governance in PPPs toll road development projects in Indonesia by providing a framework and assessment tools, which could be valuable for researchers and policymakers in analyzing and evaluating the governance and performance of toll road construction PPP projects.
Within the Saudi Arabian banking sector, the quality of work life emerges as a crucial determinant shaping employee performance. This research delves into the nuanced impacts of diverse job quality facets on employee efficacy within this domain. Employing a stratified random sampling methodology, 500 institutions were selected, yielding a 49.6% response rate, or 248 completed surveys, with the active engagement of senior management. Utilizing a quantitative paradigm, the study harnessed descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) to elucidate the interplay between job quality dimensions and performance outcomes. The analysis revealed that elements like compensation structures, work-life equilibrium, and growth opportunities substantially influenced employee productivity. In contrast, most job quality facets garnered positive evaluations, and aspects related to wage and compensation exhibited room for enhancement. The research accentuates the imperative of elevating job quality benchmarks within the banking sector to augment employee contentment and performance metrics. This study’s insights advocate for stakeholders and policymakers to champion job quality as a pivotal driver for optimizing organizational effectiveness.
The co-hydrothermal carbonization of biomasses has shown many advantages on charcoal yield, carbonization degree, thermal-stability of hydrocar and energy recovered. The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of co-combustion of cattle manure and sawdust on energy recovered. The results show that ash content ranged between 10.38%–20.00%, indicating that the proportion of each variable influences energy recovered. The optimum is obtained at 51% cattle manure and 49% sawdust revealing 37% thermal efficiency and 3.9 kW fire power. These values are higher compared to cattle manure individually which gives values of 30% and 2.3 kW respectively for thermal efficiency and fire power. Thus, the mixture of biomasses enhances energy recovered both in combustion and hydrothermal carbonization. Volatile matter is lower in mixture predicting that the flue gas releases is lower during combustion. Fixed carbon is higher in mixture predicting that energy recovered increases during the combustion of mixture than cattle manure individually. Higher Carbon content was noticed in mixture than cattle manure indicating that the incorporation of sawdust enhances heating value. The incorporation of sawdust in cattle manure can also enhance energy recovered and is more suitable for domestic and industrial application.
Objective: This study investigates the efficacy and safety of epidural infiltration with drugs and an oxygen-ozone mixture for treating cervicobrachialgia due to disc-radicular conflict or on a degenerative basis, utilizing both retrospective analysis and direct visualization techniques. Methods: A retrospective study involving 10 patients treated with epidural infiltrations of an oxygen-ozone mixture and cortisone was conducted. The procedures were performed under CT guidance to ensure precise delivery and to monitor the diffusion of the injected substances. Pain levels were assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and treatment efficacy was evaluated based on symptom relief and reduction in NSAID intake. Results: Significant pain reduction was observed post-treatment, with median NRS scores decreasing from 9 (baseline) to 2 (follow-up), and a significant decrease in on-demand NSAID intake. Only one minor complication of a headache was reported. The study also demonstrated the ability of ozone to diffuse through the epidural adipose tissue, potentially enhancing treatment efficacy. Conclusion: The combined use of an oxygen-ozone mixture and cortisone for epidural infiltration is an effective and safe treatment for cervicobrachialgia, offering significant pain relief and minimizing the risk associated with traditional epidural injections. This technique presents a viable non-surgical option for patients suffering from disc-radicular conflict or degenerative conditions.
Graphene and derivatives have been frequently used to form advanced nanocomposites. A very significant utilization of polymer/graphene nanocomposite was found in the membrane sector. The up-to-date overview essentially highlights the design, features, and advanced functions of graphene nanocomposite membranes towards gas separations. In this concern, pristine thin layer graphene as well as graphene nanocomposites with poly(dimethyl siloxane), polysulfone, poly(methyl methacrylate), polyimide, and other matrices have been perceived as gas separation membranes. In these membranes, the graphene dispersion and interaction with polymers through applying the appropriate processing techniques have led to optimum porosity, pore sizes, and pore distribution, i.e., suitable for selective separation of gaseous molecules. Consequently, the graphene-derived nanocomposites brought about numerous revolutions in high-performance gas separation membranes. The structural diversity of polymer/graphene nanocomposites has facilitated the membrane selective separation, permeation, and barrier processes, especially in the separation of desired gaseous molecules, ions, and contaminants. Future research on the innovative nanoporous graphene-based membrane can overcome design/performance-related challenging factors for technical utilizations.
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