by Carol Tran  and Laurence J. Walsh

Received: 28 September 2021;  Published: 26 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104046

Subsurface remineralization can be promoted by the topical application of nanoparticles of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP). To assess changes in enamel white spot lesions, an in situ proof-of-concept investigation was performed using 5 subjects (all of whom were healthy young adults) with a cross-over study design. Custom orthodontic brackets were attached to the buccal surfaces of the maxillary second premolar and first molar teeth. Each bracket had a recess that held a slab of enamel w [...]

by Michelle Szucs  , Miguel Angulo  , Carlos Costa  and Mª Carmen Márquez

Received: 12 May 2021;  Published: 08 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104045

Five different commercial proteases (Alcalase 2.4L, Flavourzyme 1000L, Neutrase, Protamex, and PTN) were evaluated for the simultaneous recovery of protein and lipids through hydrolysis. The hydrolysis reaction was monitored using the pH-stat procedure, in which samples were collected after 240 min of hydrolysis using each enzyme. The samples were analyzed for the degree of hydrolysis, protein hydrolysate, collagen, lipids, and fatty acids. A clear relationship was observed between the degree of hydrolysis and the [...]

by Yang Zhang  , Jiawen Chen  , Xiaowen Hu  , Wei Zhao  , Dirk J. Broer  and Guofu Zhou

Received: 17 August 2021;  Published: 01 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104044

The reverse mode polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) is an emerging smart window technology. Unlike traditional PDLCs, a reverse mode PDLC can be transparent and opaque in the absence and presence of an external electric field. This report provides a brief introduction to several reverse modes PDLC smart window technologies, focusing on polymer-stabilized liquid crystals (PSLCs). The systems based on electrohydrodynamic instability (EHDI) of liquid crystals have also been discussed. The working principles, mode [...]

by Alla V. BALUEVA  , Ilia N. Dashevskiy  and Patricia Todebush

Received: 12 May 2021;  Published: 27 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104043

One of the ways to improve the fusion of an implant with bone tissue is through the use of biocompatible coatings, in particular, hydroxyapatite (HAp). It is important to assess the strength of the HAp adhesion to the implant. The measure of the strength of the bond of the coating with the substrate is the energy of this bond. Using density functional theory and molecular dynamics, the reaction path, reaction products, oscillation frequency, activation energy and bond energy between different combinations of compon [...]

by Roland Pässler

Received: 17 June 2021;  Published: 22 November 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104042

The well-known classical heat capacity model developed by Debye proposed an approximate description of the temperature-dependence of heat capacities of solids in terms of a characteristic integral, the T-dependent values of which are parameterized by the Debye temperature, ${\Theta _D}$. However, numerous tests of this simple model have shown that within Debye’s original supposition of approximately constant, material-specific Debye temperature, it has little chance to be applicable to a larger variety of non-metal [...]

by Omar Alelweet  and Sara Pavia

Received: 09 June 2021;  Published: 13 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104041

Alkali activated (AA) materials have been investigated for decades as an alternative to Portland cement (PC) products. Most consist of a silicate waste activated with alkalis, which leads to lower green-house gas emissions and a substantial drop in the use of unrenewable material resources. This paper studies the durability of AA materials made with a ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) from Dublin, activated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), both combined and separately, and cure [...]

by Pal.S. Mangat  , Shahriar Abubakri  , Konstantinos Grigoriadis  and Vincenzo Starinieri

Received: 24 June 2021;  Published: 09 October 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2104040

Microwave curing of repair patches provides an energy efficient technique for rapid concrete repair. It has serious economic potential due to time and energy saving especially for repairs in cold weather which can cause work stoppages. However, the high temperatures resulting from the combination of microwave exposure and accelerated hydration of cementitious repair materials need to be investigated to prevent potential durability problems in concrete patch repairs. This paper investigates the time and magnitude of [...]

by Bhuamik Patel  , Yeswanthi Kamineni  , Shashank Gorityala  and M Hima Bindu

Received: 19 August 2021;  Published: 28 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2103039

Dental caries are one of the major causes of oral degeneration diseases. In order to treat dental-related diseases, it is often challenging and expensive. Recent literature has reported many advances in designing delivery systems utilizing polymers and novel biomaterials. Polymers play an important role in designing many nanoformulations like liposomes, polymeric micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, carbon-based nanoparticles, nano-hydroxyapatite, iron oxide, zirconia, silica, and silver nanoparticles were used to tr [...]

by Khaled Hassan  , Ian Sims  , Murray Reid  , Alex Smith  and Mohammed Al-Kuwari

Received: 18 April 2021;  Published: 26 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2103038

Wadi gravel is a local aggregate in Qatar that could contribute to enhanced sustainability by replacing expensive imported gabbro. The material needs to be processed before use to reduce sulfate content to acceptable levels. The paper presents the performance assessment of three full-scale buildings, variously made with 50% and 100% Wadi gravel and conventional gabbro concretes. Site monitoring up to four years in service demonstrated the strength development with age and resistance to the aggressive exposure condi [...]

by Selvaraju Sivamani  , Baskar Rajoo  and Lakshmi Balasubramanian

Received: 29 April 2021;  Published: 14 September 2021;  doi: 10.21926/rpm.2103037

One of the crucial steps in the enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass is pretreatment. We investigated the applicability of a hybrid pretreatment method, This involved acid treatment followed by alkali before the production of fermentable sugars from cassava stem. The substrate was initially treated with acid (1% oxalic acid at 100 °C for 2 h), followed by treatment with a 10% NaOH–urea mixture (by mixing 5 g each of NaOH and urea in 100 mL of water) at 100 °C for 1 h. A cellulose recovery of 98.55% was obtained with the [...]