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Background: To determine the amount of apically extruded debris during root canal preparation with of DentsplyProTaper Universal (PTU), ProTaper Gold (PTG), and ProTaper Next (PTN) nickel titanium (NiTi) rotary files was evaluated in comparision with simulated files with same design and our study design. Methods: For PTU and PTG study design modification is to leave the apical 8 mm of S1 and the apical 3 mm of S2 as un-milled, F1 only the apical 5 mm would have cutting blades. For PTN is to leave the apical 8 mm of X1and, while for X2 is to leave the coronal 8 mm as un-milled. Ninety human mandibular second premolar teeth were decoronated to a 15mm length, an apparatus with minor modifications of the Myers and Montgomery experimental model was used, after canal preparation was stored in an incubator in order for water evaporation leaving only the extruded debris, then the vials were transmitted to the electrical balance for re-weighing. Conclusions: Leaving the portion of the file which supposes not to make canal preparation blank (without flutes) decreases the amount of debris extrusion in all protaper systems.

EAP1416-27 reading.

EAP1416-29 reading.

EAP1416-26 reading.

EAP1416-14 reading.

EAP1416-11 reading.

EAP1416-13 reading.

Phenolic compounds are the major contaminates in wastewater, which can have a considerable negative influence on the environment and health of human. Adsorption is an efficient process that is widely applied in order to eliminate phenol in wastewater. In recent, Adsorption process has acquired a lot of attentiveness owing to its relative moderate operating conditions. However, adsorption process needs considerable ameliorations in terms of adsorbent modification, process type, productivity, and conversion rate. This work studies the development of a fast and effective adsorption process in a fixed bed adsorption column (FBAC) in order to reach safe and continuous elimination of phenolic compounds. Several adsorption parameters (reaction temperature, adsorbent bed height, feed flow rate and kind of adsorbent) were studied to achieve the highest removal of phenolic compounds. The adsorption process was conducted in the presence of two type of adsorbents (activated carbon (AC), and KOH/AC), 73% and 94% of phenol elimination were attained, respectively, at 10 cm bed height, 1 ml/s feed flow rate, and 75 °C reaction temperature. The adsorbents activity was investigated after six consecutive adsorption cycles at the best process conditions, and the adsorbents show high stability in terms of phenolic compounds adsorption. After that, the spent adsorbents were regenerated by utilizing various solvents (methanol, ethanol and iso-octane), and the results show that iso- octane achieved highest regeneration efficiency. The adsorption process was implemented in the adsorption column that the performance is possibly to be adjusted at an industrial scale since it can be scaled up predictably.

EAP1416-10 reading.

Field experiment was conduction in agriculture college researches station/ Basrah university on silty clay soil for planting of wheat crop(Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was included, effect of irrigation water salinity levels(2,4 and 8)dS m-1, leaching requirement(0,10,20 and 30)% and tillage depth(0-25) and(0-50)cm. and their interaction on bulk density,total porosity and soil moisture to both depth of sample collection(0-15) and(15-30)cm. also total grain product.Result showed,irrigation water salinity 2 dS m-1 caused stitical decrease for bulk density comparision with treatments 4 and 8 dS m-1, 0,10% leaching requirement comparision with another ratio and tillage depth (0-50)cm. comparision with (0-25)cm. However, moisture content of the soil,the salinity of irrigation water 8 dS m-1 gave the highest values compared to other salinity levels and 30 % leaching requirement compared to other ratios, and the tillage depth was 0-50 cm. the total porosity of the soil and the leaching requirement 0% compared to the other ratios, and the tillage depth 0-50 cm compared to the 0-25 cm. while the salinity of irrigation water 2 dS m-1 , the leaching requirement 20% and tillage depth 0-50cm were statical increased in the total grain product.

EAP1416-05 reading.

To evaluate the causes and long-term outcomes after intrastromal corneal ring segment (ICRS) explantation in the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital.This was retrospective cohort study. Two groups were analyzed: Group one, ICRS surgery done in our hospital (The most common cause of ICRS removal in group one was visual disturbance (45.2%) while in group two was extrusion (41.2%). CL is the preferable management after explantation. 76% of ICRS removal occurred during the first 4 years. In group 1, there was significant worse preimplantation visual acuity (Seventy-six percent of ICRS removal occurred during the first 4 years. High myopia and pachymetry lower than 437 um were associated with visual disturbances and further management with corneal transplantation. High myopia was also associated with visual disturbances in surgeries done outside our hospital.

This paper proposes two attenuation factors (AF’s) to improve the performance of the soft-output Viterbi algorithm (SOVA) as well as to enhance the early termination mechanism in turbo decoding. The mean square difference between the systematic bipolar coded symbols and the a-posteriori information is used to estimate the first AF. The second AF is computed online for each iteration based on the correlation coefficient between the extrinsic and a-priori information instead of intrinsic information as customary to calculate in literature. The second factor is used in the early termination (ET) scheme which is practically useful to terminate iterations when there is no significant improvement is achieved. In addition, a method for offline computing the AF’s that cover a specific range of signal-to-noise power ratio is provided which results in a reduction of utilization and latency estimates with a shallow degradation in performance. The results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the previous related works by about 0.2 dB at bit error rate (BER) of 10-5 using interleaver depth of 512 and reducing the average number of iterations (ANI) by about 3 iterations

Background The visual system becomes more susceptible to conditions causing abnormal binocular interaction or blurred visual input as it matures during the first six years of life. Therefore, detection and treatment of visual impairment at a young age can lower the burden of the condition in adulthood. According to estimates, there are 19 million children worldwide with visual impairment, and 1.4 million children suffer from blindness. One of the strategies to address blinding eye conditions and visual impairment is through health promotion. For children, the efficient way of intervention is through parents and their school environment. Therefore, the establishment of an effective health promotion model for addressing childhood blindness requires awareness building of parents and health care practices. Few studies were undertaken in Saudi Arabia to focus on the awareness of parents about childhood eye diseases and visual impairment. The aim of this study is to assess parents' awareness and perception of children's eye diseases in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, from January to December 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was randomly distributed to parents of children aged 15 and younger via WhatsApp. The survey consisted of four main sections: socio-demographic data, knowledge about eye care, knowledge about eye diseases, and eye care practice. Results The knowledge about eye diseases in children was of excellent grade in 20 parents (3.6%), good in 101 (18.2%), and poor in 434 (78.2%). Knowledge was good in 287 parents (51.7%) for amblyopia, 65 (11.7%) for childhood cataract, and 69 (12.4%) for childhood glaucoma. The attitude regarding children wearing spectacles and undergoing ophthalmic surgery when needed was positive in 427 (76.9%) and 474 (85.4%) parents, respectively. Over half of the participants (58.6%) had visited an ophthalmology clinic for the examination of their children. Doctors, campaigns, and social media were the preferred modes of receiving knowledge. Participants aged 51 years or over (p = 0.022), with a higher income level (p = 0.004), of Saudi origin (p = 0.036), and those with a child with an eye disease (p = 0.001) had significantly higher knowledge scores about childhood eye diseases. Conclusion The levels of knowledge, practice, and attitude among parents regarding pediatric eye diseases were unsatisfactory. Health promotion through utilizing parents' preferred modes of media could improve the eye care of children in the study area.

Objectives Saudi Arabia has a very high rate of chronic illnesses, especially hypertension (HTN) and diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and control of diabetes and hypertension among employees at a university in Saudi Arabia, including the associated risk factors, and to evaluate the need for early screening among these individuals. Methods This retrospective study used data from the first aid training program. In total, there were 3964 employees who completed the program, and only 1000 employees were enrolled. The program was conducted at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Blood pressure (BP), random blood sugar, and body mass index (BMI) were measured in all employees. Descriptive data, including mean, standard deviation (SD), crosstab, chi-square, and linear regression, were analyzed. Categorical variables were described using frequencies and percentages. Results The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was 31% and 5%. There were 365 males and 635 females. Employees with risk factors such as gender, age, and body mass index had significant effects on having high blood pressure and random blood glucose measurements. Of the employees who reported being free from chronic diseases, 2.9% had abnormal random blood glucose readings (prediabetic and diabetic ranges), while 37.4% had abnormal blood pressure readings (prehypertensive and hypertensive ranges). Conclusion The high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes reflects the crucial role of early screening in diabetes and hypertension protocols and raising awareness regarding protocol implementation in Saudi Arabia to improve quality of life (QoL) at the individual and community levels.

Purpose: To assess the clinical characteristics of Duane Retraction Syndrome (DRS) in Al-Medina region, in patients attending a pediatric ophthalmology clinic at Ohud Hospital. Method: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from October 2017 to June 2018 at Ohud Hospital, Al-Medina region, Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a sheet containing eighteen simple items which include demographic data, family history, surgical history, the clinical characteristics of the disease and the physician's treatment plan. Twenty patients were included in this study. Results: All twenty patients included in the study were diagnosed with DRS type I. Male and female were symmetrical in numbers as both 10 (50.0%) respectively. The mean age of the subjects was 8.7 years (SD 9.6). 95% of the subject were unilaterally affected while five percent of them were affected both sides of the eyes. 75% of the patients were affected on the left eye while 20% were affected on the right side. 35% of the patients had amblyopia in the affected eye. 25% of the patients had an abnormal head position. Abnormal eye movement (upshoot and downshoot) more common when the right eye is affected (p-0.035). 75% of the patients were orthotropic while 30% had esotropia. 75% of patients were positive of parents' consanguinity. 16 patients (80.0%) were from Al-Medina city while four of them (20.0%) were from the different area of Al-Medina region (Al Hejeria, Al Henakia, Omluj, Yatmah). Conclusion: This cross-sectional observational study is the first one that evaluates DRS in Al-Medina region. Associated abnormal eye movement more common when the right eye is affected. Parents' consanguinity may play a role in the occurrence of DRS as it is not considered as a rare disease in our region. Therefore, more studies are needed to establish the relationship between the occurrence of DRS and parents' consanguinity in our region. Also, further studies are needed to establish the relationship between abnormal eye movement and the involvement of the right eye. Keywords: Duane retraction syndrome (DRS), Clinical characteristics, Saudi Arabia, Al-Medina

Background: Cutaneous Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) are common and pose a serious challenge to physicians, especially in cases when the patient has many comorbidities, is polypharmacy, or self-administers over-the-counter medications. Objective: The objective of this study is to analyze the clinical pattern and incidence of cutaneous ADRs and perform causality assessment using the WHO-UMC scale and Naranjo’s scale. The severity of the reactions was determined by the Hartwig scale. Method: This was conducted as a prospective observational study in patients admitted to SRM Medical College, Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India, between November 2016 to August 2018 after obtaining Institutional Ethics Committee clearance of all adverse drug reactions reported at the hospital. Results: Of the 158 ADRs reported during the time period, 101 were cutaneous ADRs, of which the most common presentation was maculopapular rash (n=42; 41.58%). The most common drugs which produced cutaneous adverse reactions were antimicrobials (n=58; 57.42%) followed by NSAIDs (n=35; 34.6%). The causality assessment as per the Naranjo scale yielded 3.96% (4) cases as definite, 81.18% (82) as probable, and 14.85% (15) as possible, whereas the WHO scale yielded 9 (89.10%) certain, 64 (63.36%) probable and 28 (27.72%) possible cases. The severity of the cases determined as per the Hartwig scale yielded 82.17% cases as mild and 17.82% as moderate. Conclusion: It is important to recognise the ADRs at the right time and exert caution in future use. This can minimise harm to the patient both physically and financially and improve the outcome of the treatment.

This paper aims to analyze the generalization of Lema\^��tre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) spacetime for dissipative dust under the influence of Palatini $f(R)$ gravity. We explore the modified field equations, kinematical variables, and mass function in this scenario. We construct Bianchi identities using conservation and differential equations for shear, expansion, and curvature scalar in the background of Palatini $f(R)$ gravity. We calculated the scalar functions coming from the orthogonal decomposition of the Riemann tensor in this framework. These scalar functions known as structure scalars have been explored for LTB spacetime using modified field equations. The symmetric properties of LTB spacetime have been discussed using two subcases. We found that generalized LTB spacetime has properties comparable with LTB and obtained structure scalars in both cases which have a similar dependence on a material profile even in Palatini gravity., 21 pages

The remarkable advancements in Deep Learning (DL) algorithms have fueled enthusiasm for using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in almost every domain; however, the opaqueness of these algorithms put a question mark on their applications in safety-critical systems. In this regard, the `explainability' dimension is not only essential to both explain the inner workings of black-box algorithms, but it also adds accountability and transparency dimensions that are of prime importance for regulators, consumers, and service providers. eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) is the set of techniques and methods to convert the so-called black-box AI algorithms to white-box algorithms, where the results achieved by these algorithms and the variables, parameters, and steps taken by the algorithm to reach the obtained results, are transparent and explainable. To complement the existing literature on XAI, in this paper, we take an `engineering' approach to illustrate the concepts of XAI. We discuss the stakeholders in XAI and describe the mathematical contours of XAI from engineering perspective. Then we take the autonomous car as a use-case and discuss the applications of XAI for its different components such as object detection, perception, control, action decision, and so on. This work is an exploratory study to identify new avenues of research in the field of XAI.

Power systems are experiencing drastic changes with the introduction of renewables and customer owned resources. These changes introduce new challenges in protection, control, and operation of power systems. In protection, it is necessary to develop new methods that are immune to the new characteristics and they avoid relay misoperations. In particular, any protection system is vulnerable to hidden failures. This paper introduces a new dynamic state estimation-based centralized protection scheme (DSEBCPS) at a substation level. The system supplements dynamic state estimation-based protection for individual zones known as “setting-less relays” to secure their operation against hidden failures. The DSEBCPS communicates with the setting-less relays via the station bus and obtains essential information from each protection zone, such as phasor quantities and breakers/disconnects status. This information is processed by the DSEBCPS to estimate substation topology and states. Specifically, the DSEBCPS performs dynamic state estimation in the quasi dynamic domain once per cycle to detect any abnormality within the substation. Upon detecting abnormalities, the DSEBCPS performs hypothesis testing to identify the source of the abnormality, that is, a fault or a hidden failure. Upon detecting a hidden failure, the DSEBCPS identifies the compromised data, replaces this data with estimated values by using the substation estimated states and model. The corrected data are used by the setting-less relays, enabling self-healing characteristics. The proposed capability to detect hidden failures and correct the effects of these failures in real time makes the setting-less relays secure against misoperations and bridges a critical gap in protection systems. This capability is demonstrated through numerical experiments that include several scenarios of hidden failures. The integration of the proposed scheme with the individual protection zone relays form a resilient protection and control system, which is self-immunized against hidden failures.

Aims This study examined the interaction between maternal high fructose diet and neonatal inflammation in neonates (P7), juveniles (P26–34) and adults on measures of anxiety-like behavior and cognition. The study aimed to assess the potential synergistic effects of these two forms of early-life inflammation. Main methods We fed Sprague-Dawley dams with high fructose (60%) diet or normal chow. Each litter was treated with either saline or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on postnatal day (P)3 and P5 and two pups were tested for USVs after maternal separation on P7. Post-weaning, juveniles were tested on the elevated zero maze (EZM) and in a context-object discrimination (COD) task prior to tissue harvest. Adults were tested on the EZM and the COD task as well. Immunohistochemistry and ELISA were used to assess molecular and cellular changes in the offspring. Key findings This study demonstrates that maternal diet and neonatal inflammation altered peripheral inflammation in neonates, altered anxiety-like behavior in juveniles, and altered anxiety-like behavior in adulthood. Maternal diet and sex increased juvenile peripheral inflammation and altered memory on the context-discrimination task. Significance Maternal diet has a profound impact on fetal and neonatal development, especially as obesity rates are on the rise worldwide. Together, these findings reveal enduring effects of maternal diet on offspring, support the findings on the effects of neonatal inflammation on anxiety-like behaviors in later-life periods, and add to the complex relationship between gestational and neonatal inflammation and anxiety.

The main objective of this work is to go through fundamentals, mechanism and types of the state of the art emerging imaging modality i.e. optical coherence tomography (OCT) for non-invasive 3D imaging of bio tissues. This work consists of literature studied critically for OCT’s contribution in axial scanning of bio tissues with it different types to the best of our knowledge. Doppler optical coherence tomography (D-OCT) and speckle variance optical coherence tomography (SV-OCT) for blood flow assessment and blood microvasculatures on micron-scale resolution with dorsal skin-fold window chamber model (WCM) of mouse, Fourier domain common path (FD-CP-OCT) for applications in the setting of delicate microsurgical procedures such as intraocular retinal surgery have been explored. We conclude that OCT is the promised imaging modality in 3D regime for non-invasive applications.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to estimate the water demand elasticities using a parametric linear programming (LP) model to provide an insight into the accurate and flexible pricing policy of irrigation water in the Jordan Valley; and second, to highlight key risk aspects, related to water demand, which are likely to impact the community. Design/methodology/approach A parametric LP model was used in this research. Primary and secondary data were collected. Findings Results revealed that the demand elasticity is high in Spring and Summer than in Fall and Winter, meaning that during Spring and Summer farmers are willing to forgo larger amounts of water than in other months. This is because of areas planted during Spring seasons are much less than those of Autumn and Winter. Practical implications The Jordan Valley suffers from water scarcity risk, and consequently the area to be planted is not fully utilized, leading to lower cropping intensities. Responsible authorities in Jordan need to address these issues and propose proper solutions in order to reduce further escalation of this risk and subsequent impact on local communities. Insight into the value of water demand elasticities is essential to support and mitigate policy decision making under risk conditions, concerning investments in water supply systems; investments in the water distribution and irrigation systems; efficient allocation of water with competing sectors; setting water pricing and tariffs; setting cost recovery mechanisms, and the risks encountered under lack of mitigated policy decision making. Originality/value This is one of few studies that addresses in detail using a parametric LP model the issue of water scarcity, related risks and subsequent impact on society in Jordan. It is expected to help policy and decision makers better formulate future estimates and demand which subsequently reduce related risks.

Background: The main goal of chemomechanical endodontic treatment is the reduction or elimination of microorganisms from root canal system. The intracanal medicaments were used to enhance the disinfection process. This study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial effect of thymus vulgaris, tea tree essential oils and cold pressed black seed oil (BSO) against E.faecalis. Materials and methods: E.faecalis was isolated from ten patients in need for endodontic treatment. The sensitivity of E.faecalis to the tested oils was evaluated in different concentrations in agar well diffusion method and compared with calcium hydroxide. The sensitivity of E.faecalis to vapor of the tested oils was also evaluated, in disk vaporization method using inverted agar plate and compared to tricresol formalin (TC) and camphorated monochlorophenol (CMCP). The micro broth dilution method was used to evaluate the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the tested oils against E.faecalis. The presence of biologically active volatile components of two samples of BSO with different origins was evaluated by the use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: All the tested oils exhibited antibacterial activity against E.faecalis in different concentrations with different levels in agar well diffusion and disk vaporization methods. The MBC was 2µl/mL, for thymus vulgaris oil and 32µl/mL for tea tree and Black seed oils. The vapor forming medicaments (TC and CMCP) induced effective antibacterial action but calcium hydroxide showed a low antibacterial action against E.faecalis. The active volatile components were present in one sample of BSO only (the Iraqi one). Conclusion:The three oil extracts were active against E.faecalis, and the origin, condition of storage and method of extraction may affect the components of cold pressed black seed oil.

In the field of ophthalmology, retinal image analysis is crucial to extract many details that help doctors identifying retinal diseases at early stages, such details are the blood vessels, optic disk, and fovea. The exponential increase in number of diabetic retinopathy patients necessitates the use of computers to help doctors to diagnose and treat retinal diseases of the human eyes. Computer vision effectively helps doctors by analyzing and treating human retinas. In the field of ophthalmology, a color image (RGB image) of the eye fundus is captured by ophthalmoscopy. In this work, an automatic technique for extraction of human retinal blood vessels is proposed. The proposed method is based on three main stages, namely image pre-processing, initial segmentation of blood vessels and image post-processing. In the first stage, the contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization is applied to the green component image to improve its contrast, and then it is remerged again with the red and blue components. In the second stage, the blood vessels are extracted using mean-C thresholding. Finally, in the third stage, many morphological operations are used to refine the segmented blood vessels image. The proposed method is validated using the expert ground truths with the DRIVE dataset in terms of pixels, and experimental results show sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive predictive value of 0.770816, 0.977575, 0.959993 and 0.7611835, respectively. The performance measures are compared with many recent related works and found to outperform most of them. The superior performance of this method proves that it is promising for mass screening of human fundus images.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a paradigm that facilitates autonomous communications among various IoT devices with minimal human intervention. This raises many security challenges, which are critical and must be addressed to allow for the wide deployment of IoT. Trust must be provisioned among the various heterogeneous IoT devices. In this paper, a distributed trust management model is proposed. The model offers solutions to trust management and negotiations in the IoT. It is inspired by clustering techniques that are adopted in WSNs. After introducing the structural design and the main components of the trust model, we demonstrate how our new approach supports trust negotiations and management in the IoT.

Small-scale spill detection and removal represents a fundamental concern for a wide variety of industries such as food production plants. Often these spills are detected and cleaned manually resulting in slower operations and less productivity. In this design project, a robotic solution, including detection of the spill and removal of it, is presented to maintain high productivity and operations standards in a given organization. The design consists of a plastic structure including acrylic and polylactide (PLA), a vacuum motor, spill detection electronics using image processing and control apparatus. For initial testing purposes, the robotic attachment was mounted to iRobot Create 2 as a movement platform. Testing methods consisted of rounds of spill cleaning for a variety of materials including oil and syrup. As a result of those tests, the design can be scaled to different industries such as Oil and Gas, Energy, Supermarket and Warehouses. Results show improved spill detection and removal compared to manual methods.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of pressurized water irrigation technique (AquaPick Device) as an intra-canal irrigation technique and compare it with sonic irrigation device (Endoactivator) for their ability to remove smear layer from canals. Methods and Materials: Total number of 80 single rooted teeth (premolars) were prepared, divided into eight main groups, Group 1: Aquapick with apically vented needle/18 mm depth, Group 2: Aquapick with apically vented needle/15 mm depth, Group 3: Endoactivator device/18 mm depth, Group 4: Endoactivator device/15 mm depth, Group5: Aquapick with 2 side vented needle/18 mm depth, Group 6: Aquapick with 2 side vented needle/15 mm depth and two control groups. Then all samples were tested by SEM in 3, 6 and 9-mm distances from the apical foramen. The data were statistically analyzed using Kruskal Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Results: There was a high significant difference among the tested groups with the best removal of smear layer by the use of pressurized water irrigation device with apical vented needle especially at the 3 mm area. Conclusion: Pressurized water irrigation technique could be used as intra-canal irrigation technique with good results.

Background: The isthmus is a difficult area in the root canal complex to manage. The research aimed to evaluate the efficiency of three different obturation techniques (lateral condensation, EandQ (thermoplasticized gutta percha system) and Soft Core (thermoplasticized core carrier gutta percha system)) to obturate the isthmus area of roots prepared by two different instrumentation techniques (rotary ProTaper universal and ProTaper Next systems). Material and method: Sixty freshly extracted teeth were randomly divided into two main groups (A and B) of 30 teeth each. Group A was prepared by rotary ProTaper Universal whereas group B was prepared by ProTaper Next system. Each main group was then randomly subdivided into three subgroups of 10 teeth each, to be obturated with the three obturation techniques. All specimens were then placed in cold cure acrylic mold just from the side of the crown leaving the root unmolded to facilitate the sectioning process, then three sections were obtained from each specimen by using microtome at 2, 6 and 10 mm from the apex. Each section was viewed under stereomicroscope(40X) and imaged with digital camera(4X). Each image was managed with image J program to calculate the surface area of the whole isthmus and that of the gutta percha and/or sealer extended into the isthmus so the collected data represented the percentage of extension degree of gutta percha and /or sealer into the isthmus(EDGS). Results: The highest mean value of (EDGS) was evident with Soft Core technique in the apical area and was significantly higher than that of the EandQ and lateral condensation techniques. Conclusion: Under the conditions of this study, Soft Core system showed a higher efficiency in obturating the isthmus area than the other obturation techniques.

Purpose To evaluate refractive status and identify predictors of surgical success following a combined silicone oil removal/cataract surgery with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation procedure. Methods In this single-armed, retrospective study, we reviewed patients who underwent vitreoretinal surgery followed by a combined silicone oil removal/cataract surgery procedure between 2009 and 2013. Preoperative data included patient demographics, refractive status, IOL power, and axial length (measured with the IOL Master). Postoperative data were obtained from the 8-week follow-up visit and from the last follow-up visit attended that included refractive error (RE) evaluation (e.g., myopic, hyperopic, and astigmatic). Associations between variables and refractive status were examined. Blindness was defined as a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worse than 3/60. Results Nighty-eight eyes were ultimately included in analyses. Following surgery, 37.0% of eyes achieved BCVA better than 6/18. The incidence of blindness (BCVA worse than 3/60) was reduced from 47.0% before surgery to 17.3% after surgery. Additionally, 33.7% of eyes did not require refractive correction. Forty-two percent of eyes were under-corrected (>0.5 D hyperopia) following surgery. Age, gender, silicone oil viscosity, axial length, IOL type, initial vitreoretinal pathology, surgeon, and IOL calculation formula were not significantly associated with surgical outcomes (all P > 0.05). Conclusion A combined silicone oil removal/cataract surgery with IOL implantation procedure restored functional vision in approximately one-third of cases. However, nearly half of patients were under-corrected. Unfortunately, we did not identify any factors that predicted surgical success.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an extended network that allows all devices to be connected to one another over the Internet. This new network faces numerous challenges, but mainly security issues. One such issue is how the IoT’s nodes can trust each other when they are connected over the Internet. There is a lack of studies that address the issue of trust management in IoT, or that provide a fully trustworthy framework. This paper proposes and delivers a centralized trust management mechanism for IoT by adding trust modules as a feature of the central trust manager, the Super Node (SN). To deliver a comprehensive approach, the SN includes other modules which are integrated with the whole IoT Trust Management framework to provide trustworthy communication between all nodes.

Disposable cups tend to be a viable solution as a packaging method for hot or cold beverages, but they have adverse environmental impact. They represent a concern for consumers due to the excessive use of trees during production of paper cups and non-biodegradability of plastic cups. The mobility and convenience of reheating the beverage in a microwave oven, for example, encourages the use of disposable cups. In this project, an environmentally-friendly solution is presented to reduce the use of plastic and paper cups that harm the environment. Compared to other existing products, this device maintains a desired temperature of a hot or cold beverage for extended periods of time using insulation and power from a thermoelectric cooler. The proposed design consists of a double-wall mug with outer steel and inner copper cylinders. The base of the copper cylinder is integrated with a thermoelectric cooler and a control system. The development of the device is governed by the performance of preserving desired temperature of beverages for longer times compared to conventional mugs and containers. Testing methods consist of thermal FEA simulation, CFD simulation and physical prototype testing showing a temperature difference of 30 °C with the added thermal system to the mug.

Recent advances bring new challenges to different aspects of power systems. These challenges necessitate new philosophy and paradigm shifts in power system protection, control, and operation. This paper describes a dynamic state estimation-based centralized protection scheme (DSEBCPS) that provides a new paradigm for a resilient protection system for the power system of the future. The proposed system is capable of detecting hidden failures in real time, correcting data by leveraging redundancy, and facilitating the system's secure and dependable protection and operation. The DSEBCPS is integrated with setting-less relays to secure their operation against hidden failures. The process starts with data streaming from setting-less relays to the DSEBCPS through the process bus. The DSEBCPS performs dynamic state estimation at the substation level to detect abnormalities. Upon detecting abnormalities, the DSEBCPS performs hypothesis testing to distinguish between faults and hidden failures. Its capability to detect hidden failures in real time secures setting-less relays from misoperation, bridging a critical gap in protection systems. This paper includes a simulation for two case studies to demonstrate the system's capabilities.

For some disabled people, Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are used to interpret brain thinking to drive machines by creating interface between the human brain and such machines. EEG signals are naturally varied due to human thinking process, and can be manipulated to drive a wheelchair based DC motors in real-time without any muscular efforts. In this paper, EEG signals are used to control DC motors using a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) that includes an EEG sensor headset to capture brain signals. The extracted EEG signals are considered as reference signals and transmitted to a microcontroller via Bluetooth. An intelligent wheelchair (IW) with an EEG sensors is connected to an Arduino, that drives two DC motors, to control movement references to the specific EEG signals. For the proposed IW based EEG, life cycle cost (LCC), over 5 year lifetime, is about 2674$ compared with a manufactured passive wheelchair, which its LCC is 3957$. The experimental tests suggest that the proposed design of IW is efficient and low cost as well as allowing disabled people to more easily control their wheelchairs and to lead independent lives.

Background: Dentin removed during root canal system instrumentation for creating adequate geometry for the canal and cleaning the canal. A new instrument had been marketed with the aim of optimum shaping of all parts of the canal system, however, no information present about the amount of dentin removal compared to conventional rotary system. This study investigated the amount of dentin removal when the canal instrumented by SAF compared with ProTaper by using high resolution computed tomography (micro CT). Materials and Methods: Twenty extracted single canalled teeth were utilized for this study; and randomly divided into 2 groups. In the first group, the root canals were prepared by using protaper rotary system till F2 and the root canal irrigated with 1ml of normal saline after each instrument. The root canals in the second group were prepared using SAF for 2min, with continuous irrigation (normal saline). After rescanning, the amount of dentin removal was calculated. Result: It was clear that the use of SAF system had increase the amount of dentin removal and in quantity larger than that did by ProTaper system & the mean of net difference was (0.288mm ± 0.051). By using t-independent test, there was highly significant difference between the two groups at (p=0.001), with in favor of the SAF system over ProTaper system at p< 0.01; in dentin removal quantity Conclusion: Root canal preparation with SAF-system resulted in more and effectively removed dentin when compared with protaper rotary files.

Background: The elimination of the microorganisms from the root canal systems, an important step for the successful root canal treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the antibacterial effectiveness of the photoactivated disinfection by using the toluidine blue O and a low- energy light emitting diode (LED) lamp . Materials and method: Sixty single rooted extracted teeth were decoronated, instrumented, irrigated, sealed at the apex and contaminated with endodontic anaerobic bacteria for 7 days to form biofilms in prepared root canals. Group I. Twelve teeth were medicated by photosensitizer (toluidine blue O) solution activated by diode lamp (FotoSan; CMS Dental, Copenhagen, Denmark).Group II. Twelve teeth were medicated by the tricresol formalin. Group III. Twelve teeth were medicated by the camphorated monochlorophenol (CMCP). Group IV. Twelve teeth were medicated by calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) paste. Group V. Without the intracanal medication (control group). The bacterial swabs were taken before and after medication and following the photoactivated disinfection procedure immediately and after 7days. The canal contents were swabbed by paper points inserted to the root canals, serially diluted and cultured on blood agar. Survival fractions were calculated by counting colony-forming units. Result: Treatment of the root canals with PAD (fotosan) caused a high significant reduction of the bacterial count, resulting in a 96.39% elimination of root canal bacteria, followed by root canal treated by tricresol formalin (group II),then CMCP (group III) and Ca(OH)2 (group IV) respectively. Conclusion: Light activated disinfection possesses potent antibacterial action against the anaerobic bacteria cultivated in root canals.