Incorporating Ion-Specific van der Waals and Soft Repulsive Interactions in the Poisson-Boltzmann Theory of Electrical Double Layers

Electrical double layers (EDLs) arise when an electrolyte is in contact with a charged surface, and are encountered in several application areas including batteries, supercapacitors, electrocatalytic reactors, and colloids. In the modeling of EDLs, a prominent knowledge gap has been the exclusion of van der Waals (vdW) and soft repulsive interactions in modified Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) theories. Although more short-ranged as compared to electrostatic interactions, we show here that vdW interactions can play an important role in determining the structure of the EDL via the formation of a Stern layer and in modulating the differential capacitance of an electrode in solution. To this end, we incorporate ion-ion and wall-ion vdW attraction and soft repulsion via a 12-6 Lennard-Jones (LJ) potential, resulting in a modified PB-LJ approach. The wall-ion LJ interactions were found to have a significant effect on the electrical potential and concentration profiles, especially close to the wall. However, ion-ion LJ interactions do not affect the EDL structure at low bulk ion concentrations (< 1 M). We also derive dimensionless numbers to quantify the impact of ion-ion and wall-ion LJ interactions on the EDL. Furthermore, in the pursuit of capturing ion-specific effects, we apply our model by considering various combinations of ions. We observe how varying parameters such as the electrolyte concentration and electrode potential affect the structure of the EDL due to the competition between ion-specific LJ and electrostatic interactions. Lastly, we show that the inclusion of vdW and soft repulsion interactions as well as hydration effects lead to a better qualitative agreement of the PB models with experimental double-layer differential capacitance data. Overall, the modified PB-LJ approach presented herein will lead to more accurate theoretical descriptions of EDLs in various application areas

Blessing Nonvital Tooth with Life through Revascularization

In recent times, revascularization has been found to be a better&nbsp;alternative in treatment of immature, nonvital tooth with blunderbuss&nbsp;canal since, it enables formation of root apex radiographically&nbsp;which allows the clinician to get a better hermeatic&nbsp;seal in the apical area. Success of the treatment also dependsgreatly upon the disinfection of the canal, which is achieved&nbsp;not only by the use of intracanal irrigants, but also with the use&nbsp;of intracanal medicaments like triple antibiotic paste, which is&nbsp;followed by getting a good coronal seal to prevent orthograde&nbsp;infection during the procedure. However, long-term prognosisof the treatment and the tissue occupying the canal space&nbsp;requires further investigatio

Prediction of Football Match Score and Decision Making Process

Football isone of the most popular sport internationally. With that amount of popularity and fame, it has gained a lot of attention from the technical field. Prediction of match results has been in demand for various purposes including team management, analysis and betting. We have come up with a solution using machine learning algorithms that can fulfil all the current needs in football match prediction. The implementation only includes teams from Spanish La Liga over the last 5 seasons. We have predicted the outcome of matches between Home Team and Away Team which would include the final score, the starting 11 players, the substitutes and the names of probable goal scorers. For the purpose of analysis, we have provided the stats of players and teams referring to the FIFA 18 game database as well as their actual career stats. We have also provided the analysis of strength, weakness and tactics of players and teams. Finally, for decision making purposes, we would make a system that can analyse the Home and Away team and then suggest the tactics to the user for their team that can maximize their winning chances

Knowledge of evidence-based dentistry among academic dental practitioners of Bhopal, India: a preliminary survey

This study aimed to characterize the knowledge of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) among dental faculty members in the city of Bhopal in central India. A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered at two dental colleges in Bhopal City. All dental faculty members who were present on the day of the study and who agreed to participate were included in the study. A total of 50 dental faculty members returned the questionnaire. Six Likert-type questions were asked, and the percentages of various responses were used for analysis. Sixteen faculty members (32.0%) strongly agreed that EBD is a process of making decisions based on scientifically proven evidence. Fifteen faculty members (30.0%) strongly disagreed or disagreed with the item stating that the best and quickest way to find evidence is by reading textbooks or asking experienced colleagues. Thirteen faculty members (26.0%) strongly agreed that EBD allows dentists to improve their scientific knowledge and clinical skills. It is recommended that EBD be included in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula and in intensive continuing dental education programs that are conducted for dental faculty members

First-year dental students' motivation for choosing the dental profession: A questionnaire study of budding dentists in Central India

Background: The choice of a career is a crucial decision that has a lifelong impact on a person's living pattern. It is important to understand the motives of those choosing to study dentistry, because these motives may influence an individual's level of commitment to the profession. The aim of the present study was to highlight the motives of choosing dentistry as a career among 432 1st year dental students. Methods: A pretested close ended questionnaire comprising of 30 questions, was administered to 1st year dental students registered under Barkatullah University, Bhopal. Students were asked questions pertaining to the importance of five central motives money, people, business, flexibility, and personal background for selecting dentistry as a career. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Results: It was observed that being self-employed (54%) and helping people (51%) were reported as the top two factors for joining dentistry. Conclusion: Students' vision of a being self-employed and helping people appears to have influenced their choice of dentistry. This implies that being independent may be one of the most motivating factors underlying the bright image projected by the dental profession. The policy makers should work on making dentistry a lucrative profession, and improve the other motivating factors

Oral hygiene practices and its relationship with periodontal status among police personnel of Bhopal city, Central India: An epidemiological study

Background: To assess the oral hygiene practices, oral health awareness, and oral health status of police personnel in Bhopal city and to suggest measures to improve the present oral health status. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on 781 subjects, mean aged 40.5 years, who were selected by simple random sampling. Type-III examination of the subjects was conducted and along with questionnaire, community periodontal index (CPI), loss of attachment index and decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) data was recorded on modified W.H.O format 1997. A value of P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Awareness related to oral health diseases, its cause, and prevention was low among police personnel. DMFT was significantly lower among this group. CPI score 2 was highest among the majority of subjects. Subjects brushing twice daily had significantly healthy periodontium than those brushing once daily. Conclusion: Most of the police personnel lack oral health awareness and suffer from periodontal diseases. Awareness should be created to maintain good oral hygiene, regular dental checkup and refrain from smoking among police personnel

The critical incident technique in dental research: A review

Research is a scientific quest to find answers to certain questions. It makes us think with curiosity and wonderment about how to make something better. Research contributes in a major way to the development and maintenance of health and health care systems. Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomena and includes subjective assessment of attitudes, opinions, and behavior. It is especially important in the behavioral sciences where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human behavior. The critical incident technique (CIT) is a well-established qualitative research tool used in many areas of health sciences including nursing, medicine, dentistry, and their respective education systems. This technique is described as consisting of “a set of procedures for collecting direct observations of human behavior in such a way as to facilitate their potential usefulness in solving practical problems.” This review gives a gist of CIT and its application in different aspects of dental research

An overview of adjuvants utilized in prophylactic vaccine formulation as immunomodulators

Introduction: Development of efficient and cost effective vaccines have been recognized as the primary concern to improve the overall healthcare in a country. In order to achieve this goal, more improved and powerful adjuvants need to be developed. Lacking in the self-adjuvanting immuno-modulatory constituents, vaccines exhibit lower immunogenicity. Combining potent adjuvants with vaccines is the most appropriate method to enhance the efficacy of the vaccines. Hence, this review is focussed on the most potent adjuvants for the formulation of vaccines. Areas covered: This review focuses on Oil-based emulsions, Mineral compounds, Liposomes, Bacterial products, ISCOMs and most recently used nanomaterials as adjuvants for enhancing the antigenicity of vaccines. Furthermore, this review explains the immunological response elicited by various particles. Moreover, case studies are incorporated providing an in depth analyses of various adjuvant-containing vaccines which are currently used. Expert commentary: Enhanced fundamental knowledge about the adjuvants and their immuno-stimulatory capabilities and delivery mechanisms will facilitate the rational designing of prophylactic vaccines with better efficacy

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