Contemporary Endodontic Sealers

Endodontic treatment over goes multiple phases to ensure long term successful outcome. Starting with an accurate diagnosis and treatment planning, through proper debridement and disinfection of the root canal system. Finally maintaining a sterile environment of the pulpal space, by filing its root’s with an inert biocompatible material and securing it with a final restoration, a process known as obturation. Accordingly, quality of the seal was shown to be an influencing factor in the long term success of an endodontic treatment, as root canal obturation act as a barrier isolating both periapical tissue and radicular space from ingress of microbial contaminant, and promotes healing as it entombs any remaining pulpal or microbial irritants. (1)(2) Traditionally, root canal obturation consist of a core material most typically gutta-percha (GP), and some sort of an endodontic sealant to produce a homogenous filling. (3) These Sealers play a major role in obturation by overcoming the physical limitation of the core material, they help to seal minor anomalies, accessory canals and foramina, and fill any voids between root canal walls and core material. (4)  Sealers also facilitate placement of core material. (5)(6) While the broader objective of these sealers is to ban microbial ingress, some sort of micro leakage does occur in almost all types of sealant used. (7) Apart from antimicrobial activities, ideal properties desired in an endodontic sealer were outlined by Grossman. These sealers must be biocompatible or at least non-toxic, insoluble in tissue fluids but dissolve in retreatment solvent, and must display excellent sealing ability. Other include; appropriate adhesion to dentinal walls, bacteriostatic, dimensionally stable, provide adequate working time, radiopaque, and must not stain the tooth. (8) Unfortunately, no available sealer displays all of these properties yet. (9) In light of this, selection of any type of an endodontic sealer could therefore affect treatment outcome. (10-13) Root canal sealers are available in various quantities and have been grouped in a number of arrangement according to either their chemical composition, usage, or tissue absorbance (14) This paper will touch upon conventional ones and will attempt to introduce contemporary and new ones

العوامل المؤثرة في تقبل الفصول الافتراضية لدى طلبة كلية التربية الأساسية بالكويت في ضوء نموذج قبول التقنية TAM - Factors influencing the acceptance of virtual classes among students of the Faculty of Basic Education in Kuwait in light of the TAM technology acceptance model

من أهم معايير نجاح استخدام التكنولوجيا في التعليم هو رضى المستفيدين منها وتقبلهم لها. لذا هدف هذا البحث إلى الكشف عن العوامل المؤثرة على تقبل الفصول الافتراضية لدى طلبة كلية التربية الأساسية في دولة الكويت في ضوء نموذج قبول التقنية TAM . ولتحقيق أهداف البحث واختبار فرضياته، تم استخدام المنهج المسحي، واختيار عينة قصدية بلغت ) 400 ( من طلبة كلية التربية الأساسية في الكويت خلال الفصل الأول من العام الجامعي 2018 - 2019م، وتمثلت أدوات البحث في إعداد وتصميم استبانة تكونت من ثلاثة أجزاء رئيسية، وبعد جمع بيانات البحث وتحليلها احصائياً أثبتت النتائج وجود علاقة إيجابية بين النية لاستخدام الفصول الافتراضية وعوامل الفائدة المحققة وسهولة استخدام تقنية التعليم المتاحة في الفصول الافتراضية لدى طلبة كلية التربية الأساسية في الكويت، وكذلك علاقة إيجابية بين العوامل المستقلة) الدعم الفني، التفاعل في التعليم، والكفاءة الذاتية (والفائدة المحققة، وسهولة استخدام تقنية التعليم المتاحة في الفصول الاف تراضية لديهم، وعلاقة إيجابية أيضاً بين العوامل المستقلة الدعم الفني، التفاعل في التعليم والكفاءة الذاتية( ونية الطلبة حول استخدام الفصول الافتراضية من خلال الفائدة المحققة وسهولة الاستخدام كعوامل وسيطة لدى الطلبة، إلا أنه لا يوجد تأثير لنوع جنس الطلبة في قبولهم لاستخدام التقنيات المتاحة في الفصول الافتراضية، ويوجد تأثير للخبرة في ذلك، وتم الانتهاء بذكر عدد من التوصيات التطبيقية لنتائج البحث. ***************************************************************************** The successful use of technology in education relies primarily on the satisfaction and acceptance of its beneficiaries. This research aims to reveal the factors influencing the understanding of students of Faculty of Education in Kuwait for the virtual classrooms in the light of their acceptance for the TAM Technique. Survey methodology and selection of 400 students from Faculty of Education in Kuwait as a sample during the first semester in the academic year 2018-2019 are two methods used to achieve the goals of the research and test its hypotheses. The research develops a questionnaires consists of three major parts. After collecting and analysing the data statistically ,the results proves that there is a positive relationship between the intent of using virtual classrooms, usefulness factors and the ease of using technical education in virtual classrooms for the students in Faculty of Education in Kuwait. The research also shows that there is a positive relationship betweet the independent factors such as (technical support, interactions in teaching and self-efficacy) and the usefulness and the ease of using technical education in virtual classrooms for the students. Another positive relationship is discussed by this research connects the independent factors (technical support , interactions in teaching and self-efficacy) , the students' intention of using the virtual classrooms through the usefulness and the ease of use as a feedstock for them. Besides , it is indicated that the gender of the students has no effection in their acceptance for using the information technology in virtual classrooms however the experience palys a vital role in that. The research concludes with a mention of some applied recommendations for the results of this research

Prevalence of erectile dysfunction among smokers in southwestern Saudi Arabia

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the failure to develop or maintain erections that are adequate for sexual performance. ED is increasing in prevalence and incidence worldwide. According to the latest epidemiologic studies, around 10% of men aged 40 to 70 have severe or complete ED. An additional 25% of men in this age group have moderate or sporadic ED. The literature is replete with evidence that smoking has a negative impact on erectile function independent of age or comorbidities. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia, from March-2021 to June-2021. Data on demographic characteristics, erectile dysfunction, and smoking habits was collected by self-administered questionnaire. The descriptive statistics were calculated to measure significant differences among variables, and the chi-square test and t-test were used at 5% level of significance. The data analysis was done by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)-version 20 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Out of 500 distributed questionnaires, 450 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 90.0%. Of 450 patients, the average (SD) age was 33.6 (8.9) years and 55.6% were sexually active (N = 250). Thirty six percent of sexually active respondents were smokers. Independent of age, smokers were at higher risk of having ED. Conclusions: Smoking was associated with higher risk of ED. So, health-policy makers should start an awareness campaign to educate people about the adverse effects of smoking on men’s health. The government should also support these programs for the public

Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) in Predicting Coronary Artery Disease Compared to Body Mass Index and Waist Circumference in a Single Center from Saudi Arabia

This study aims to study the efficiency of the Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) for determining coronary artery disease. It compares the frequency of abnormal WHtR, as a proxy for abdominal obesity, to that of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). It also relates the findings to other cardiometabolic risk factors in University Hospital patients. A cross-sectional study design was used, where a sample of 200 patients (142 males and 58 females) who attended the adult cardiac clinic were purposively included. BMI, WC, and WHtR were measured, where frequencies of WHtR were compared to those of BMI and WC. The findings were related to the history of coronary artery disease (CAD) and history of cardiometabolic risk factors, including diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), and hyperlipidemia. Majority of the male patients were older, taller, and had a lower BMI value. It also showed that the prevalence of dyslipidemia and CAD was higher in male patients. No significant difference between both genders was noticed for weight, WC, WHtR, hypertension, or DM. BMI was least associated with high-risk cardiac population in both males and females (39.4% and 60.3%), followed by WC (84.5% and 96.6%, respectively). WHtR showed the highest association with gender (male 98.6% and females 98.3%). These findings were noticed in patients with all risk factors. WHtR is superior to BMI and WC for determining the elevated risk of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and CAD in a single university institute. The role of WHtR in both normal and diseased Saudi population should be delineated